A number of students at Willem de Kooning Academy have rising concerns about the food they consume at the Cafeteria, De Willem.

. Is this the food we want to energise us throughout the day?
.Is my lunch from a producer I want to support?
.What social and environmental impacts do my choices in the cafeteria have?
.Do we really need the amount of single use plastic we have in the Cafeteria?

After asking these questions to another 90 students at WdKA, we realised we are not the only ones concerned about the choices we make on a daily basis.

It is crucial to understand the impacts of our choices. For example, the carbon footprint of a banana from Madagascar is drastically different to the carbon footprint of an apple grown locally in The Netherlands. We have the power and responsibility to make conscious choices about the food we buy and consume. So, why don't we?

This is why we came up with the "New De Willem" concept, to transform the current cafeteria in WdKA. These are points we would like to implement within our concept.

. SALAD/ SANDWICH BAR- A lack of vegetarian and vegan options available at WdKA is of huge disadvantage to the Cafeteria right now we believe. The salad/ sandwich bar concept allows you to assemble a meal tailored to your dietary and lifestyle choices through personal choice of the bread, ingredients, seasoning and dressing from fresh and local product in a buffet arrangement. All weighed and priced according to grams.

. LOCAL/SEASONAL- The Netherlands possess many healthy and tasty fruits and vegetables interchanging with the seasons that make tasty and nutritious meals! Instead of supporting cheap, carbon guzzling international suppliers, we want to support local farmers in Rotterdam/ The Netherlands that are a part of our community. We propose a change to completely local suppliers which would in turn bring exciting seasonal changes to the Cafeteria menu!

NO SINGLE USE PLASTIC- The smoothie cup needn't be plastic when it could be glass? The plastic salad box could be replaced with a ceramic bowl and the single use cutlery to multiuse, metal alternatives? There is no need for the amount of single use waste our Cafeteria generates. We would like to implement a borrowing system whereby crockery and cutlery can be used and returned, significantly reducing single-use plastic.

CIRCULAR SYSTEM- By cutting plastic waste, we already help to contribute to a more sustainably run Cafeteria. However, fruits and vegetables left at the end of the day have potential to be beautiful and nutritious smoothies or soups. Peels and all other organic waste could help to supply the future WdKA Rooftop Garden with quality compost that helps to grow product in the garden that we later consume in our Cafeteria; creating circular system run inside WdKA itself.

We need your support to push for and implement these changes!

You can help local producers earn a decent wage, eliminate unnecessary waste flows, encourage more exciting and nutritious options in your own Cafeteria and support conscious decision making.

Use this power. Sign the petition!