Keru

KERU COMMUNITY FRIDGE

The community fridge is a space and community open to everyone. It is available to anyone who wants to share and/or collect surplus food. The aim is to reduce food waste and to support sustainable food culture. The community fridge offers an easy way to take part in solving global climate and food waste issues.

The first community fridge opened on 3.9.2018 as a pilot project at the Settlement House in Kallio, Helsinki. The purpose of this pilot project was to gain experience, develop the concept and possibly continue the project on a regular basis after the pilot period ended on 2.2.2020. The project was inspired by successful food sharing movements across Europe. Design had an important role in the development and implementation of this community fridge concept. The pilot project was conducted by Waste Food Crew (a group of urban activists) working group and led by designer Heidi Uppa. Dozens of volunteers were involved in the daily activities and Settlement House was the main partner of the project. The materials and tools resulting from the pilot project will be published on the community fridge.info platform by the end of 2020.

After the pilot period, the activities continue and are led by the Keru-yhteisöjääkaappi ry association. Information related to the activities can be followed on the association’s Facebook page and Instagram.

How Community Fridge Works?

1. Donate your surplus food to the community fridge

2. The surplus food is recycled and gets into use

3. We have agreements to collect surplus food from our collaborators on a regular basis

4. Food from the fridge is open to everyone who is willing to take and eat

5. We take care of cleaning the fridge regularly

6. By using the community fridge you can do good for climate, environment and people in the neighbourhood

How to donate food to the community fridge? How to collect food from the community fridge? Location and opening times

RECENT POSTS

03.02.2020
KERU COMMUNITY FRIDGE CONTINUES TO UNITE AND FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
Quote from the guestbook (written 2.2.2020): “ Many people dream of making the world a…
09.09.2019
HOW TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE?
Keru Community Fridge celebrated food waste week 9–15.9.2019 by sharing tips for reducing food waste…
19.12.2018
LOGISTICS COMPANIONSHIP WITH KERU – IS IT YOU OR YOUR COMPANY?
Looking for a pilot project for car sharing or circular economy solution? Keru community fridge…

FRIENDS & COLLABORATORS

Kalliolan Setlementti & partners

Kalliolan Setlementti is our main partner with daily activities. Keru Community Fridge is located at the premises of Kalliolan Setlementti (address: Neighbourhood spaces, Sturenkatu 11, Helsinki). Other partners include HOK-Elanto, Ruohonjuuri, Kallio Cultural Network, Dodo ry, Friends of Earth ry, Restaurant Loop. From Waste to Taste ry, Gold&Green Foods Ltd, Ice Dream Bike Oy etc.

Friends & volunteers

The Keru community fridge is a non-profit project run by its core team members and volunteers. We welcome everyone to work on a voluntary basis with us. We can offer new learning experiences as part of our international team. Keru’s activities can also be supported in various ways such as by donating one's own surplus food into the Kerukaappi or by sharing information on Keru project and events.

Shops, cafés & restaurants

We receives most of our food donations from nearby shops, cafés and restaurants. We collect food donations everyday. Please, contact Waste Food Crew team members if your company wishes to become a surplus food donor for Keru community fridge.

Helsinki Design Week

Keru community fridge project and our opening event were a part of the Helsinki Design Week 2018 programme. The largest design festival in the Nordic countries was held from 6–16 September 2018. Keru Circular Economy Workshop day was a part of the Helsinki Design Week 2019 program.

Supporters

The city of Helsinki awarded two grants for starting the project and to cover expenses. Grafia ry has supported project by covering communication material costs. TAH foundation has awarded a grant for the logistics expenses and concept development and modelling – results will be published in 2020. In case you are interested in supporting Keru or participating in the project as a collaborator, please contact Waste Food Crew.

WASTE FOOD CREW

Waste Food Crew consists of designers, urban activists and other like minded people who want to prevent climate change by reducing the amount of waste food and taking some concrete actions. Our team has a diverse range of skills and experience which can be utilised in this project, for example understanding on environmental issues and sustainable development, as well as experience on project work and international collaborations. We have networked with various people and organisations who are involved in waste food issues and have become familiar with many functioning waste food concepts and activities in countries such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Inspired by them, the Keru concept and operation model was developed. Many collaborators and volunteers are taking part in the daily activities.

We welcome everyone interested in reducing the amount of waste food to collaborate and work with us. For general inquiries you can email us at info@kerukaappi.fi

CONTACT

Management, design, communication & PR

Heidi Uppa

+358 50 320 5768

Events & volunteers

Mari Sahlstén

Pick-up team / logistics

Tiago Pinto

Cleaning team

Anniina Heikinheimo

Pick-up team / logistics

Aapo Huikko