Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

Did you know that if you put apples and bananas next to each other, the bananas start to spoil faster? Or that eggs don't belong in the fridge door, even though there are often special places for them in the fridge? By opening the fridge frequently, eggs are exposed to unstable temperatures. And what about the difference between the minimum shelf life and the use by date?

Generation Z throws away food more often than other age groups, according to a recent study by Mendel University in Brno. Not only how to plan purchases and menus, how to store food properly and then process it appropriately, was part of the lecture entitled We are not the trash generation at the University Library of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB) on Wednesday 12 March, where the Save the Food organisation invited both representatives of this generation and all those who are not indifferent to the topic of food waste.

According to information available on the Save the Food website, up to a third of the world's food is wasted. Globally, food production and related activities are responsible for around 23% of greenhouse gas emissions. "So our decisions about what we do or don't eat have a profound effect on how we as a society treat our natural resources. The issue of food that ends up in the trash has an impact on the planet, our future and our daily lives," said lecturer Veronika Mejkalová from Save the Food. At the lecture, participants also learned practical tips on how to reduce food waste. "According to research, households waste more food than restaurants and other catering outlets. Households in the European Union are responsible for up to 53% of food waste. It is important to start at the most basic level to change these figures," added Mejkalová.

"Of course, I already knew some of the information, for example, that it is not good to go shopping hungry - you buy things you wouldn't normally buy, and then you often throw the food away. But other information was new to me. For example, that tropical fruit does not belong in the fridge, as it loses its quality," the student shared his impressions from the lecture.

"I was pleasantly surprised that the participants, which of course included those from Generation Z, were aware and knew a lot of things about food waste. I believe that there will be more and more such people and that Generation Z will not be the trash generation after all, as the title of the lecture suggested," added Veronika Mejkalová.

Participants of the event also learned where they could take any surplus food. Thanks to specific initiatives and charity, the food will then help, for example, refugees, people in need such as the elderly, mothers with children and others. The University of West Bohemia, together with the city charity and the Save the Food organisation, has been helping mothers with children since last autumn, when it took uneaten lunches from the canteen to the nearby St. Zdislava Home in Plzeň na Borech. "By contributing to the reduction of food waste and at the same time helping those who find themselves in a difficult life situation, we are trying to bring about positive changes not only in our university community, but also in the wider society," said Jan Váně, Vice Rector of UWB. You can read more here.