Circular Economy: Material Flows and Sustainable Materials – Practical Applications

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2.18

Food Systems and Spaces: Campus Garden Uppsala University and Bruised Food Club

In this step, we take a look at two local Uppsala initiatives – Campus Garden Uppsala University and Bruised Food Club – both of them inspiring examples of how work with circularity and community building among students and people living in Uppsala.

CEMUS has collaborated with both organizations, mainly in semester start-up Project Cafés, and Bruised Food Club started as a student project in one of CEMUS’ courses. If you live in Uppsala or want to start a similar initiative where you live, you have links at the bottom of this page.

Bruised Food Club in Uppsala

The Bruised Food Club is a non-profit organization based in Uppsala, Sweden, dedicated to combating food waste and promoting sustainable consumption. They operate by collecting food items that are perfectly edible but are rejected by grocery stores, wholesalers, and producers due to superficial damage, short expiration dates, or overstocking. They then redistribute this surplus food through various channels, including markets and events, available to the public free of charge. The organization aims to raise awareness about the scale of food waste and demonstrate practical ways to create a more resource-efficient food system. Watch a shorter presentation about Bruised Food Club here.

You can find Bruised Food Club at Forumtorget in central Uppsala during their weekly markets, see map here.

The Bruised Food Club model effectively implements circular economy principles by directly addressing food waste, a significant global issue responsible for up to 10% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

The core practice involves rescuing and redistributing perfectly edible food that would otherwise be rejected by conventional retail standards. By ensuring this surplus food reaches human consumption (its highest-value use), the initiative prevents the methane emissions associated with organic matter decomposing in landfills. This action also preserves the substantial resources (including energy, water, and land) already invested in production. Ultimately, the model establishes a viable economic pathway for food streams designated as ‘waste’ while actively challenging and redesigning current consumer expectations.

Campus Garden Uppsala University

The Campus Garden at Uppsala University, founded by students in 2020, is a hands-on initiative funded by the university’s ‘climate pot’ to reduce its carbon footprint. Based on permaculture principles, the garden transforms unused campus space into a regenerative food system that prioritizes using recycled materials and minimizing waste. Beyond growing diverse food crops, it serves as a vital community for students and citizens for knowledge sharing, fostering sustainable awareness, and connecting a diverse group of volunteers.

You can find the Campus Garden at Villavägen 14 in Uppsala, between the end of the Botanical Garden and Geocentrum, see map here.

The Campus Garden at Uppsala University exemplifies Urban Agriculture, demonstrating how institutional spaces can become multifunctional hubs for a regenerative Permaculture food system.

The garden, while not scaled for significant food production, offers considerable functional value as an educational and operational hub. It demonstrably supports environmental objectives:

Regeneration and Education: The space provides practical, hands-on learning in soil health, composting, and regenerative Permaculture techniques, serving as an accessible educational resource.
Waste Diversion: The garden effectively eliminates organic waste from the campus by processing it into nutrient-rich compost, thereby diverting material from external landfills.
Community and Skill Building: It functions as a shared social space that measurably increases local food literacy and practical skills among students and staff. This transfer of knowledge contributes to community resilience by strengthening local understanding of food systems.

The garden operates as a living laboratory that showcases and implements principles of Permaculture, circularity, and sustainability within the university setting.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Food Systems and Spaces: Campus Garden Uppsala University and Bruised Food Club

Bruised Food Club in Uppsala

Campus Garden Uppsala University

Further reading, learning and references