Making sustainable choices easier: that is the mission of Groener Groningen. They are keen to lend a helping hand to the province’s residents in this regard. After all, it doesn’t have to be that difficult, as long as you know where to look. Through initiatives such as events and a sustainable city guide, the foundation is making Groningen a little greener. Making a conscious choice is that simple.
Thinking green
''Doing things sustainably doesn't have to be complicated,'' says Ferrick van Dongen of Groener Groningen. Ever since 2017, this foundation has been working for a greener world. They see that things can be done differently. That better choices can be made. But that is not always easy, they know. ''We do want to live more sustainably, but sometimes we don't really know how,'' says colleague Manon Prins. ''That's why we put sustainable choices in the spotlight so that residents have to make less of an effort.'' The foundation does this by organising events and festivals and by developing a sustainable city guide. Everything to bring sustainable initiatives together and make Groningen a little greener.
“ Sustainability in the spotlight ”
Go sustainable
And for that, sometimes you have to think just a little differently. Take the nine-course dinner at the second edition of the Sustainable Moments festival. No meat on the plate, but seaweed. And that's not green goo, but a worthy meal. Tasty, moreover. But what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat. ''That's what we are there for. To show people that sustainable choices can be made anytime and anywhere,'' Ferrick says. A piece of disclosure and thus awareness. ''The stap to thinking green is often not even that big,'' Manon adds. ''As long as you know what choices you can make, the growth comes naturally.''
To do this, one must engage with sustainability. And that certainly happened in abundance during the festival. From a clothes swap to a sustainable market and all manner of talks on making green choices. There was a great deal of enthusiasm. “Not just among residents, but also among business owners. This cross-pollination was infectious,” smiles Manon. The seed had been sown. “We wanted to expand this green ripple effect and carry it over into everyday life. The best way to do that is by steering purchasing behaviour a little.”
Putting ‘green’ on the map
Because when you walk around town, you usually have your regular addresses. For your clothes, your food. But you don't always dwell on your ecological footprint. Sustainability is often not the familiar route. To help you navigate, Groener Groningen has therefore developed the sustainable city guide. With places where you can buy responsibly. Sustainable products; vintage instead of new. Local instead of far from home. Places with an eye for the environment. ''The sustainable offer in Groningen is already there, but people don't always know how to find it,'' says Manon. That's why the city guide shows where to go for green choices. For instance, clothing shop KOKOTOKO, restaurant Pernikkel and interior shop Laif & Nuver. ''By bundling these places on a map, everyone can easily make a sustainable choice,'' Ferrick says.
And Groningen is the city of choice for such a guide, they think. ''It is a progressive city that is always developing. There is a lot of demand for green'', Manon explains. ''Among students, for example,'' Ferrick adds. ''They are more concerned with sustainability than the older target group. The latter is more interested in regional products. Luckily, Groningen has plenty of them.
