The Central Market of Thessaloniki S.A. within the framework of the LIFE-IP CEI-Greece project and the “FRESKON” Exhibition, are organizing the event “Food Waste Prevention & Social Contribution: Setting up a Food Redistribution Structure in a Central Market”, which will take place on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in Pavilion 13, Special Events Area.
The event is part of the LIFE-IP CEI-Greece project, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment & Energy (MEEN). It is one of the most important initiatives for the development of the circular economy in Greece, aiming to contribute to the implementation of the National Waste Management Plan (NWMP), the National Waste Prevention Programme, and the National Circular Economy Strategy.
Central Market of Thessaloniki S.A.’s participation in the project focuses on implementing demonstration actions for the prevention of food waste generation (Action C4.3), in close collaboration with the Green Fund. These actions include:
- Collection of unsold food from the Central Markets or from cooperating bodies (traders, farmers);
- Sorting and temporary storage;
- Operation of a food redistribution system;
- Networking with local public benefit organizations; and
- Systematic monitoring of all the above activities through the use of new technologies (e.g. QR codes, smartphone application, database).
As part of this initiative, a Manual of Standard Operating Procedures was developed to ensure the reproducibility of successful food waste prevention practices by other organizations. In this context Central Market of Thessaloniki S.A. is organizing the above-mentioned event to share the manual with stakeholders interested in implementing similar actions and to train them for optimal results.
A workshop will follow, focusing on the creation and organization of a food redistribution unit in a Central Market.
