Afval naar Oogst - I can change the world with my two hands

Afval naar Oogst and I can change the world with my two hands are working together to bring much needed compost material tourban gardening iniatives in Amsterdam

Description

Afval naar Oogst (waste to harvest) tackles a pressing environmental issue: around 30 percent of Amsterdam’s household waste consists of organic material (GFTE: vegetable, fruit, and food scraps).

While the city is eager to improve waste separation, existing top-down collection systems have proven ineffective. At the same time community gardens and urban farms need compost to sustain their crops.

This issue directly affects multiple groups:

• Urban residents who want to separate their organic waste but lack a convenient collection system.
• Local municipalities seeking scalable solutions for waste management.
• Community gardens and urban farms struggling making high-quality and enough compost to feed the soil of their gardens.

Afval naar Oogst (ANO) bridges these gaps by transforming food waste into compost through a decentralized, community-based approach. By connecting residents who generate organic waste with green initiatives that need compost, ANO creates a closed-loop system that restores soil health while reducing waste.

ANO operates through a network of community composting hubs embedded within existing urban green spaces—such as community gardens and urban farms. Each hub functions as a waste collection and processing site, where local residents can deposit their kitchen scraps, Volunteers from the green spaces oversee the composting process. The resulting compost is then used to enrich the soil, closing the loop between waste and food production locally.

ANO works bottom-up, strengthening existing community-led initiatives rather than imposing top-down solutions. This approach ensures that the people most affected by waste management challenges—residents, urban farmers, and local green activists—are directly involved in designing and implementing the solution.

Our method include:

• Building local infrastructure: Establishing composting stations within community gardens and other food-growing spaces.
• Empowering local stewards: Training volunteers to manage composting hubs, ensuring quality control and knowledge-sharing.
• Educating and engaging residents: Organizing events to teach about composting and circular waste practices.

Since its launch at 2021, ANO has expanded to 26 locations across Amsterdam. The demand for additional compost hubs is rising, with numerous green initiatives and residents expressing interest in joining our network.

I can change the world with my two hands is founded by artist and social-ecological activist Natascha Hagenbeek. It’s a long-term art project that explores the intersection of art, ecology, and community-driven sustainability. Rooted in the belief that small, local actions can create meaningful global change, the project encourages individuals to take responsibility for their environment through hands-on participation.

At the heart of the initiative is the transformation of urban spaces into productive, regenerative ecosystems. By reclaiming neglected land and turning it into flourishing communal gardens, demonstrates the power of collective stewardship. It serves as a living laboratory where people can reconnect with nature, learn about sustainable food production, and experience the social and environmental benefits of commoning practices.

Through workshops, and collaborations with local communities, the project challenges dominant economic and environmental paradigms. It promotes circular systems that value care, reciprocity, and resourcefulness over extractive and exploitative models.

By integrating aesthetics with ecological engagement, I can change the world with my two hands invites people to imagine alternative ways of living—where creativity, sustainability, and collective action come together to regenerate both land and society.