Lunch at Madskolen: student's prepare food in Verive's reusable meal boxes

Cooking with a purpose 

We spoke with Kitchen Manager Niels and Chef Maja in Madskolen's kitchen. Both are extremely passionate about their work. “We are a canteen that prepares school meals, but we do it together with the students. Each day the school’s students prepare food for around 220 of their fellow peers of different levels: For young children that just started school to intermediate levels and graduating students", Maja explained. 

Watch the full story here.

At Madskolen no recipes are used. Instead students learn how to think independently and experiment with trying something new. According to Maja, “In the kitchen, the students work with their hands, and they do it together. ‘You are a team', is what we tell them. No one is finished until everyone is finished”. Maja and Niels have witnessed how cooking strengthens their school community. While chopping and cooking, conversations flow naturally and the students learn how to collaborate. 

Benefits of reusable food packaging 

Cooking for several hundred students and then serving them in disposable bags and           meal boxes with disposable cutlery each day led to large amounts of waste. Furthermore, it was difficult for the students to sort these items properly. "But it is not just about reducing waste. Preparing food in a rigid meal box is nicer, and eating from it leads to a better lunch experience. In Verive's PP meal boxes the food stays warm longer and doesn't get soft”, Maja added. “It also teaches the students to take care of their equipment. Rather than throwing it all away, they need to watch their meal box, empty it, and bring it back to the kitchen after usage”.

Although many customers are prompted to switch to reusable food packaging due to      legislation, this is not yet the case in Denmark. Madskolen's motivation is purely intrinsic. As the school kitchen is a closed environment with washing facilities on-site, the switch to reusables was relatively simple. 

Verive’s locally produced meal boxes  

An important factor for Madskolen when choosing Verive's meal boxes over the competition was the fact that they are produced in Europe. According to Maja, “It's important to us to know where the products we use come from. In addition to that, the quality is really good. It locks tightly, keeps its shape – even with hot meals inside – and stays nice after multiple      washes”. Madskolen opted for a personalised design, printing their school logo on their reusable packaging.      

Once these meal boxes reach their end-of-life, they can easily  be recycled in regular, existing plastic waste streams. “I definitely recommend other kitchens, whether they're in a school or not, to invest in reusable food packaging”, Maja encouraged with a smile. 

Transparent advice from Multiline           

Weighing up the sustainability of moving from disposable food packaging to reusables depends on many factors. And once you decide to make the switch, it is smart to involve an expert in redesigning your processes to best suit your operations, customers, and sustainability goals. 

When it comes to Madskolen, Key Account Manager at Multiline Søren Lauritzen had this to say: “Kitchen Manager Niels sees the children for who they are, he gets the students that show the most challenging behaviour in class to wear a smile in the kitchen”. 

Madskolen's Kitchen Manager Niels added, “Søren has helped us a lot in the process of switching from disposable to reusable packaging. I felt safe and supported during the decision-making process, as he clearly outlined the pros and cons of both food packaging systems. Søren's transparency in sharing things to watch out for and be aware of [during and after the switch], supported me in making a confident choice”.       

Want to learn more about Verive? 

Whether you are situated in Denmark or somewhere else in Europe, we are here to future-proof your food packaging and all associated processes. Get in touch today to learn more about the possibilities, or browse our latest catalogue here. 

Jet Kolkman

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