Sharing food by sharing cabinets in Noord: “They are empty faster and faster” | NOW

Share groceries with the neighbourhood, waste less food and help people who have less to spend. That is the purpose of the sharing box. In Noord, where there are already twelve such storage units, they notice that the cabinets are visited more often due to the price increases.

In the compartments, which can be found in Amsterdam since 2019, there are both non-perishable products (pasta, rice, pots of sauce) and hygiene products such as sanitary towels and tampons. Local residents who can do without something, put products in the cupboard. People who need it take it out again.

According to resident Monique Egberts in Noord, who has a shared cupboard at her house, the need has grown recently. “We have noticed that the cabinets have recently been emptied much faster than, for example, last year. It is a really welcome addition for people.” Meals in particular always go away quickly, sees Egberts. And expensive products, such as menstrual products, are also popular.

René Increases, who makes neighborhood cupboards for the So Goed Foundation in a sheltered workshop in Purmerend, also sees the number of applications increasing. “It is really much more used, I just see that the cabinets are more crowded.”

Monique Egberts sees that her locker is mainly visited in the dark. “We hear the box open and close and later you see that things are missing. We always assume that it is people who need it.” Cabinet maker Increases hopes that using the cabinets will be removed from the taboo sphere. “It doesn’t matter at all if you take something out of a cupboard when you need it.”

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