Lockers for our Free Go bikes

Our association aims to reduce food waste and facilitate access to food for people in precarious situations who are particularly affected by food waste. We have set up self-service refrigerators called “Free Go” inside buildings accessible to everyone, allowing anyone to drop off or take food. Importance: Our Free Go units play a vital role in fostering local solidarity by reducing food waste and providing emergency food assistance. However, their use and management present challenges that our “Free Go Lockers” project aims to overcome. Problems Encountered: • Uncontrolled access: Although the Free Go units are open to everyone, their use could be better regulated and explained to the public. • Lack of visibility: Even indoors, it can be difficult for the public to understand how to participate in this initiative. • Lack of mechanisms to encourage participation: There is no simple way for passersby to contribute financially or quickly learn about the initiative.

To create durable, eco-friendly wooden boxes around the Free Go stations to: 1. Protect and organize: The boxes will protect the Free Go stations while providing compartments for different types of donations and maintenance tools. 2. Encourage interaction: Include donation boxes and flyer holders to encourage spontaneous contributions and spread information about the initiative. 3. Improve visibility: Use information panels integrated into the cabinets to raise awareness of the initiative and encourage participation. 4. Sustainability: Promote an environmentally friendly solution using renewable materials and a sustainable design. Objective: Strengthen the management, visibility, and accessibility of community fridges while fostering positive interaction with the public and supporting the mission to combat food waste and food insecurity.

1. Donors: People—especially those without Twint—will be able to contribute to the fight against food waste by having a simple and direct way to make donations. 2. Local community: Residents will better understand our initiative and how we operate, which will help them feel more quickly integrated into our efforts. The goal of our self-service Free Go fridges is also for citizens to help one another and to understand that it’s possible to drop off or exchange food donations to help others. 3. Volunteers from our organization: Volunteers will be able to store their cleaning supplies in a locked, secure box, protected from theft. Culture of Sharing: • Promoting Donations: The lockers will encourage donations of food and other resources, thereby fostering a culture of sharing. This will inspire people to feel responsible for one another. • Reducing inequality: By making food more accessible to everyone, including those in precarious situations, the project helps reduce inequality within the community. Easier Support for the Organization: • We had to set up Twint QR codes to allow people concerned about food waste to support us financially, because money was being stolen from the donation boxes we had set up without a locking mechanism. Our volunteers pointed out that many beneficiaries did not have Twint but wanted to support us. Such lockers would allow us to securely fasten the donation boxes. Materials: cost of wood (type of wood, treatment to withstand wear and tear), screws, hinges, paint or varnish (to protect the wood). Flyer boxes and donation boxes: cost of purchasing boxes to collect donations and distribute information in the form of flyers (flyer boxes). Labor: production-related costs (to be discussed with the cabinetmaker or carpenter) Decoration: fees for the graffiti artist to visually illustrate our concept.

In the building where the early childhood program is located: Av. Bergières 10, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland, Beaulieu