"The idea is to reduce food waste in the area. If there is an active person in the area who wants to put up a food locker powered by renewable energy, the it is for all people who think food does not go in the trash and that this valuable resource could be shared with the community," said Kairi Niinepuu-Mark.

"The food cupboard on Peetri tänav is located at Aruheina Kindergarten in Rae Municipality, where the kindergarten itself decided to put an end to food waste."

According to Niinepuu-Mark, the food people take to the locker has to meet all the required hygiene standards. "Half-empty packets or soup left in the bowl should not be brought to the lockers, and the food has to be in a sealed container. However, if, for example, a large quantity of apple pie has been made at home, it could be neatly packed up in a box and taken to the locker."

The idea of the locker is to take the type of food you are currently enjoying and leave the pleasure of cooking it for others. "It's also a creative challenge, to think about what you can make with the food in the food locker today," says Niinepuu-Mark. "Anyone can bring food to the locker or take it."

According to Niinepuu-Mark, there are already twelve solar-powered food lockers in locations across Estonia. "All of them are in rural settlements, in relatively small areas, where there is a sense of 'us' and we have not encountered any vandalism or crime. On the contrary, time has shown that if there is trust, people will come together. Food also provides a kind of common bond that unites all members of the community, no matter how fat or thin a person's wallet is."

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