We received a nice tip via social media: Veggiebox. A box full of fruit and vegetables that might otherwise go to waste, while you fill your fridge with healthy goodies for a small price. Sounds good, so Saskia gave it a try. How does it work exactly, what do you get at home and is it really as handy as it seems?
Reddening veggies!
We've done some research into Veggiebox. And it turns out to be an incredibly likeable and local initiative that we think there should be many more of. Julius and Stijn, the founders of Veggiebox, grew up amongst potatoes and cabbages themselves and saw firsthand how much good food is lost in the food chain. That's why they now work with farmers, growers, wholesalers, and other companies to give these ‘odd ones out’ a new purpose. At your home! They pick up the produce, pay the growers a fair price for it, and the produce is then made into boxes that you can collect from a pick-up point anywhere in the Netherlands. Saskia tried it out and was immediately curious about what exactly is in such a box.
Our experience with Veggiebox
We put it to the test and ordered a Veggiebox and an exotic fruit box, together for 19.50 euros as a combo deal. You order the boxes very easy via the webshop and then choose a collection point near you. Surprise: they come to a lot of places in the Netherlands. The Randstad, the north and east are particularly well represented at the moment. But be sure to check the current map on the site, Because new locations are constantly being added! Veggiebox travels to all sorts of places in the Netherlands on fixed days: from community centres to local shops and collection points. You collect your order at the agreed time. Be sure to bring a big bag and fill it up. When we went to pick up our box, a friendly queue of people was already waiting. Within ten minutes, we were heading home, all loaded up.
And what was in it? You’ll want to know, of course! The vegetable box contained, among other things: aubergine, carrots, green beans, runner beans, spring onion, kohlrabi, pumpkin, and even fresh asparagus soup. In addition, there was a generous fruit box filled with pineapple, mango, bananas, watermelon, mandarins, pomegranate, and lime. There are three of us at home (two adults and one child), and we think we can easily eat from this for one and a half to two weeks.
At Veggiebox, you save fruit and vegetables from waste, for example because the shape or size isn't good enough for the supermarket, or because too much has been produced and the farmer or buyer can't sell it to shops.
Conclusion: truly a shopping tip that completely fits your greener agenda. You save food from waste, automatically eat more fruit and vegetables, and it saves money too. And when you consider that in the Netherlands we throw away an average of 34 kilos per person annually, such a box is a doubly good idea!
Check out this fun initiative!
More fine message tips
- Also see: our experience with Foodello.
- Also see: our experience with Butlon.
- Also see: our experience with Too Good To Go.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
