Food Waste
New Vilnius policy: sorting food waste
Until 2024, Vilnius didn’t have a structural system for sorting food waste; reforms are still news and being implemented gradually, to help people adapt to new habits. Instead of having a dedicated container for food waste, Vilnius’ residents are provided with Orange disposable bags; food waste should be placed on those bags and then disposed of in a common mixed waste container.
Orange bags are made from recycled material and will be separated from other waste, by a dedicated machine; their content will be turned into compost and the orange bag itself will be recycled. Separate containers for food waste are expected to be installed in the next phase, once most of the population has adapted to the Orange bag system
Vilnius orange bag and buckets can be collected at various highly frequented distribution spots; locations for those spots are available at https://atliekuetiketas.lt/en/schedule-of-distribution/ On the same website a lot of more specific answers are available under the FAQ section.
Orange bag benefits
Someone could argue that the orange bag system is not eco-friendly as they are made of plastic; however, studies have shown that they have a very low pollution effect. Thanks to modern technology, producing an orange bag has less carbon footprint than producing a paper bag and it’s almost completely recyclable. The Mechanical sorting system has proven to have a 100% rate in recognising and sorting orange bags from mixed waste, meaning that no orange bag, if properly used, is incinerated or sent to landfill by mistake.They are also very resistant and rarely rip.
Other sorting models obviously exist: separate containers, home composting or using buckets. However, when taking in consideration Vilniu specificity, all the other systems appear to have more cons than pro and their introduction could both raise prices, increase waste management issues and be rejected by the population.
Food bank initiative
Maisto Bankas https://www.maistobankas.lt/ is the Lithuanian Food bank, which has been operating since 2001 and became an independent association in 2007. Vilnius was one of the first cities where Maisto Bankas started to operate and it has now expanded and collects food aid in more than 70 cities and districts, distributing it in 203 areas of Lithuania. At this map https://www.maistobankas.lt/maisto-banko-akcijos-zemelapis-atnaujinta/ it’s possible to see in which cities Maisto Bankas is operating.
As stated in their website: “In 2021 alone, we distributed 9,000 tons of food, of which 6,045 tons of good food were saved from being thrown away”. Maisto Bankas contacts supermarkets and warehouses that have unsellable stock due to inappropriate label, appearance defect, overproduction, transportation defects ecc…. and prevent all this food from being thrown out.
All collected food is still suitable and safe for human consumption; including ready-made food products, partially prepared food products and food ingredients. Volunteers will then sort it by categories and check the expiration dates, weight and any other important details; the next step is to provide it to other social and charity organisations that are in direct contact with people in need.
While a charity canteen is not operating in VIlnius, People in urgent need can still ask for help directly from Maisto Bankas; they will receive nutritional assistance as well as information about where to find social support, that will help them to escape an emergency situation. For this reason, Maisto Bankas actively collaborates with municipality’ social workers to create a list of individuals and families that will directly receive a food parcel every week.
In Vilnius, Maisto Bankas has also opened a food drop-off point; a place where people in need can choose products like in a supermarket, but free of charge. From august 28, the donation centre is operating at Kalvarijų st. 129; the location is easily accessible using public transport, being close to ”Tauragnai stop”
“Maisto bankas also have an “Academy”, which operates also in Vilnius and offers training and programs to promote social inclusion among the most deprived individuals. They also organise courses to educate about cooking healthy and tasty meals, also support for job seeking is provided.
It’s worth noticing that collecting food and distributing food this way, not only helps people but also helps to reduce food waste, lower CO2 emission and help to save water; contributing to environment protection while minimising the resources used.
In Vilnius, the Warehouse and the office of Maisto Bankas are both at “Vytenio st. 54”; it’s a location that is easy to reach with public transport. The doors of the place are open daily and the project Manager “Modestas Bastis” is happy to be called to give anyone information about it.
Tel. (8~5) 2627675),
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