Like many other public institutions in Portugal, the University of Coimbra has accumulated numerous documents awaiting appraisal and selection to determine their final destination: permanent preservation or disposal. In 2024, the Department of Life Sciences began a document appraisal process for its accumulated records with social and sustainable goals, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda.
All documents and papers that, according to Portuguese legislation, are to be disposed of are sent to the Paper for Food campaign. This initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks, has both environmental and solidarity implications: all collected paper is converted into food products distributed to people in need. The value obtained from selling the paper to certified waste operators is transformed by the Federation into essential goods for local distribution.
The campaign Paper for Food contributes to five Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).
The presentation aims to explore the collaboration between the Archive of the Department of Life Sciences and the João Paulo II Shelter Center (a social institution fighting poverty and social exclusion) with the Paper for Food campaign. Examples from the archive will be presented: which documents can be disposed of and how many kilograms of paper have already been sent to the campaign.