Some are donating their excess to food banks, some are holding online auctions so that their members have access to cheaper groceries
Study associations in Groningen have huge stocks of beer and food, with fast-approaching expiration dates.The boards of the associations are now trying to come up with creative solutions to get rid of the stocks, and also to prevent food waste, reports the UKrant.
FMF, the study association for physics and mathematics, has stored about sixteen crates of beer in its room at Nijenborgh 4, as well as soft drinks, muesli bars, chips and other snacks.
Other study associations also foresaw that they would have to throw away food and drink they bought to sell to their members at now-cancelled events.
Cover, the study association for artificial intelligence, decided to donate the food to the Food Bank. Idun (life sciences) did the same. FMF has chosen a different solution and is reselling the stock to its members. This also applies to Bernouilli, the association of chemical technology.
There they came up with the idea for an online auction, says vice-chairman Hans Veldkamp. He was the auctioneer and people could bid by raising their hands in front of the webcam. “The starting price was very low and the final bid was still very low: about a tenth of what you pay in the supermarket.”
So the association lost money on its food, but it would have been worse to have to throw the food away, he says.
Bernouilli brought the groceries to its members by car, but Floris only has a bicycle, so he is now cycling from member to member, delivering the FMF’s supplies. “Well, as long as it’s in the city, of course,” he says. “It’s also a way for me to keep in touch with people.”
