100 going zero, in Helsinki

Zero waste: this was the orientation of the dinner that chef Ljubomir Stanisic and part of 100 Maneiras’ team prepared in the restaurant Nolla, on August 6, in Helsinki. The event was the first of a series organized by the Finnish restaurant under the title “Nolla-Cooking without waste”, which aims to promote change and contribute to greater sustainability in the area.

As a pioneer in the Nordic “zero-waste” scene, Nolla has been trying to spread this concept by participating in a number of initiatives, having the most recent one taken place in New York. Knowing that, on average, one restaurant produces more than one ton of waste per week, Nolla’s team follows a simple philosophy based on refusing, reducing, reusing and, only as a last resort, recycling, aiming to achieve the goal of zero waste. In collaboration with various universities and entrepreneurs, the Finnish restaurant carried out several studies over a period of two years, concluding that the project would indeed be feasible.
A composting machine transforms food remains into nutrient rich humus that is then distributed to local farmers. However, at Nolla, composting does not stop there; the team uses a software system that weighs everything that is inserted into the composter. With this data, Nolla aims to improve its waste management and share this knowledge with other restaurants, hoping to eventually change the entire industry.

The invitation to 100 Maneiras came as Ljubo is increasingly involved in cooking with a sustainable approach. In 2017, the Yugoslav chef opened the first organic and vegetarian restaurant with signature of a chef in Portugal: Terroir, at Six Senses Douro Valley. At the same time, he is preparing to open the new 100 Maneiras, which will have sustainability as one of its pillars.

With the success of this first shared dinner, the doors to new joint “operations” are opened for the future. So that the goal of zero waste can get closer and closer to becoming a reality.