Donation Room tackles food waste at Horecava

After three successful Donation Room experiments in 2019, RAI Amsterdam organised a fourth during the Horecava exhibition. This resulted in standholders filling crates with food which we were able to share with various initiatives in the Amsterdam metropolitan region.

Social impact

All donated products were given to people who needed it the most. Salvation Army initiative Bij Bosshardt used the food products in its neighbourhood meeting place and crisis shelter for families in Amsterdam North, while social care charity Puur Zuid filled refrigerators, freezers and storage units to supply its restaurant and meeting place in Amsterdam South. We also donated crates with a wide variety of food products to the Regenbooggroup homeless shelter, two neighbourhood groups in Betondorp, a foundation for stray cats in Amsterdam East and the Food Bank in South. Over a hundred families were also provided with full shoppers or meals via Community Events Almere.

“On Friday morning, our people from Burger in Nood (Civilians in Need) picked up a shopper full of donated food,” says Hannie van Schaik from Community Events Almere. “Everything was ready within 45 minutes and, thanks to the RAI and all participating organisations, we were able to put a smile on many faces.”

Donation Room experiment

The Horecava Donation Room is the fourth in a series of experiments in which the social demand is linked to the product availability of events at RAI Amsterdam. Horecava 2020 helped so many social organisations that a follow-up in 2021 is highly likely. At the same time, we are consulting with various organisations on how we can prevent an excess of products during events at the RAI.

The next event to have a Donation Room will be ISE on 14 February 2020.