CCC's Street Art Contest #294 - A greener future!

Welcome to another post in the Street Art community!

Good morning, friends! How’s your week going so far?

Even though yesterday was a holiday in my country, I had some extra work to do in the days leading up to it. Nothing I couldn’t handle, but it always ends up adding a little more chaos—though nothing that can’t be managed with a little extra effort.

Do you usually celebrate Easter? If so, in a religious way, or just as a gathering where you bring together close friends and family to share a special meal?

In Portugal, despite being a predominantly Catholic country, there isn’t widespread adherence to religious traditions. There is, however, a special practice of avoiding meat in the days leading up to Sunday. But interestingly, this custom exists because in the past, meat was a more expensive food than fish, for example. What the Church asks is that we choose simpler foods. That we set aside something we enjoy eating more, as a temporary restriction. To make a small sacrifice, to give it away later.
I’m not sure if I got the message across.

As I’ve mentioned before, I think that the consumption of red meat, as well as new eating habits among the population, may in some way be contributing to an increase in food waste.

The latest official data from INE (the National Statistics Institute) reveal that in 2023, approximately 1,932,893 tons of food were wasted... Nearly 2 million tons! This amounts to about 182.7 kilograms per person... Households alone accounted for 67% of the total. During the same period, the European average was 130 kilograms per capita, which places us above the European average (link).

There is still a long way to go.

In my home, it is very rare to waste food. In fact, I can say it amounts to virtually a few kilograms a year... I don’t even know if it reaches 10. I am currently contributing to the reuse of food waste (food scraps, such as pits, peels, tea bags, coffee grounds) by placing them in a designated bag, which is then taken to the municipal waste center and redirected to a specialized facility. I mentioned the recent implementation of this project in my neighborhood in a recent post.

There is still much to be done in this area.

I recently passed through a low-income neighborhood near my workplace and came across this very simple mural, which must have been painted during one of the community garden initiatives organized by the Ajuda Neighborhood Council.

Growing vegetables on municipal land for local consumption significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Not only is the produce healthier—since it contains fewer fertilizers—but it also uses soil enriched with locally made compost and other natural fertilizers.

What about you—is there something similar near where you live? I know there are community gardens in my municipality, but they aren’t near my home. And the ones that do exist around here are for the exclusive use of Social Security shelters.

I’m thinking that when I do some renovations on my house, I’ll start getting used to having herbs in pots. It’s pretty easy to maintain, from what Pardinus told me, and the aroma the food gets when we use freshly picked herbs is completely different.

I wish you all a wonderful Easter, full of joy and lots of sharing!
Don’t eat too many sweet almonds! Do you have that tradition in your country?