During the 8-week challenge, we gathered 100 ideas about sustainable consumption that focus on solutions that can be integrated on campus, in Amsterdam, and throughout the Netherlands. From reducing single-use plastics to supporting local businesses, these ideas will help us make a positive impact on the environment and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
With so many amazing ideas shared on the platform, selecting the winning ideas was a difficult decision for the jury to make. To help them decide, they used specific criteria to evaluate each idea. These criteria included Growth Throughout the Process, Impact and Relevance, Feasibility, Novelty, and Delivery.
Five awards were given to participants whose contributions are the most promising (according to a jury or audience) or helped the community to further develop ideas (The Top Contributor Award).
Ideation session
Sometimes, it is not easy to pinpoint a problem, or way too many of them to choose from. In other cases, one can simply lack the time to reflect on their experiences. We know that creating an idea could be a big task. To help our community members in this process, we decided to organize an ideation session with the focus on the future of consumption on campus, in the city, and at home. We discussed how technology and financial incentives can be powerful tools to motivate people to change their consumption behavior. We explored ways to make energy consumption more efficient at home and what governmental bodies can do to create an environment where people are encouraged to make smarter decisions about how they consume goods and services. The discussion was particularly exciting, as it allowed us to explore possibilities and generate creative ideas. In the end, our ideation sessions are about looking around and getting inspired.
Celebration event
At the celebration event, a group of aspiring change-makers who became the Challenge Finalists presented their ideas during a 3-minute pitch, that they had prepared with the help of Accenture professionals. The jury consisted of experts in sustainability, entrepreneurship, climate change, and Accenture representatives.
Each presenter, driven by an unwavering commitment to usher in a more sustainable world, outlined their innovative idea aimed at reshaping consumer behavior. Here are the victors, as determined by the jury:
- Impact and Inspiration Award: Tom Siebring and Tom Tetterro won the Impact and Inspiration Award for their ‘CollAction‘ idea. They developed a digital platform to connect people and make collective challenges fun and easy.
- Growth Champion: Irene Ferrara was awarded the Growth Champion Award for her 'Consciously app' idea. Consciously will empower people to make more informed and conscious choices as consumers in their daily live
- Technology for Social Impact: Thijmen van Hessen won the Technology for Societal Impact Award for his idea of 'Reducing digital carbon footprint'. He proposed to develop a campaign to create awareness about digital consumption.
- Top Collaborator Award: Toni Schindler was awarded the Top Collaborator Award in recognition of his remarkable commitment to helping the community to develop their ideas on the platform.
- Marketing and Sustainability Award: Shuminnar Singh, Gergő Mezei, Yaman Namli, and Janick Scheenhart won the Marketing and Sustainability Award for their 'Transit and Go' idea of an app, which allows individuals to take on the job of delivering posts while running a daily errand or going on a holiday.
- Crowd's Choice award: Anouk Holch, Stan Meekel, Lisette Lokers, and Douwe Borren were awarded the Crowd’s Choice Award; their 'Stop Wasting Food at Work' idea received the most votes on the platform. They proposed creating a gamified learning environment to help corporations reduce food waste.
The Celebration of Responsible Consumption Challenge event served as a beacon of hope, a testament to the power of innovation, and a reminder that collaboration is the key to addressing the challenges that lie ahead in our quest for a sustainable future
Challenge Champions
Challenge Champions are leaders who strive to improve a specific aspect of the VU community. They play a crucial role in connecting with experts who can provide valuable insights for addressing community issues and in supporting the implementation of the most promising ideas within the community
- Accenture Netherlands - a management-consultant company, that believes in harnessing sustainability to create fresh opportunities for our clients, partners, our team members, and the communities in which we operate.
- Green Office VU - sustainability platform at the VU, that aims to make the VU campus more sustainable.