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Tag Archives: Netherlands
Cycle-friendly societies: lessons from the Dutch and the Danes
Posted on August 2, 2021 by jamescarson2014
The Netherlands and Denmark have become synonymous with high numbers of cyclists and extensive cycling infrastructures. In Denmark, 9 out of 10 people own a bike, while the Netherlands has an estimated 16.5 million bikes in a country of 17.3 million people. Both countries have developed impressive cycle networks and have integrated cycling infrastructure into wider transport planning.
But the prevalence of cycling in these countries didn't happen overnight – or by accident. Campaigning, urban planning, political support and investment all had roles to play in making the Netherlands and Denmark such great role models for bike-friendly societies.
In the first decades of the twentieth century, as in other parts of Europe, cyclists in Denmark and the Netherlands were in competition for road space with horses, trams and growing numbers of cars. In Denmark during the 1920s and '30s there was a long-running debate on how to accommodate cyclists on Danish roads. Initially, a painted line to separate cyclists from other traffic was suggested. But a high number of accidents pushed Danish planners towards a separate cycling infrastructure, which has grown into the widespread network Denmark has today.
In the Netherlands, taxation funded a national network of cycle tracks across the country. But after the Second World War, the rise of motor vehicles confined cyclists to the margins, with some cycle paths removed to widen roads for cars. The city of Rotterdam, destroyed during the war, was rebuilt with a plan that put the automobile at its centre, with people commuting by car from the new suburbs.
This decline in cycling also happened in other European countries. In the UK, the 15% of all trips taken by bike in 1950 had plummeted to just 1.3% of trips in 1975. But in the 1970s, popular protests took place in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands against motorway expansion, triggered by steep oil price rises and a growing environmental movement. This backlash persuaded urban planners that more consideration needed to be given to cyclists, pedestrians and public transport. Since then, national and local governments have prioritised policies to make cycling safer, more convenient and more attractive. As one study has noted:
"Instead of catering to ever more motor vehicles by expanding roadways and parking facilities, Dutch, German, and Danish cities have focused on serving people, making their cities people-friendly rather than car-friendly, and thus more liveable and more sustainable than American, British, and Australian cities."
Cycling today in Denmark and the Netherlands
In the Netherlands today there are 35,000km of cycle paths, while Denmark has 12,000km. In both countries, traffic calming measures have restricted or banned cars on residential streets and have imposed speed limits. There are extensive bike parking facilities – the Dutch city of Utrecht, for example, is building a further 30,000 bike parking spots as part of a ten-year infrastructure plan.
Integration with public transport networks complements the efforts to encourage more people to get on their bikes – in the Netherlands, 50% of all public transport trips begin with a bicycle ride. From an early age, Dutch, German and Danish citizens are taught how to be safe cyclists and to make motorists aware of other road users.
Prioritising cycling ensures that cyclists can get around quickly and safely. In Copenhagen, electronic systems coordinate traffic lights to recognise bikes instead of cars, which means cyclists travelling at a speed of 20km/h find that they hit green lights all the way into the city in the morning, and back again at the evening rush hour.
Could it happen here?
With decades of cycle-centric planning and investment, Denmark and the Netherlands are miles ahead of the UK. But one of the few positives emerging from the coronavirus pandemic in this country has been a resurgence of interest in cycling. During the 2020 lockdowns, some UK cities created pop-up bike lanes, and bike sales soared by 63%. A wave of new cyclists took to the streets, with many feeling safer in the saddle than on crowded public transport.
But with traffic now returning to pre-lockdown levels, cycling campaign groups are worried that the momentum may be lost. As Keir Gallagher of Cycling UK told the BBC:
"If measures aren't taken now, then unfortunately a lot of those people who have discovered cycling are going to be lost and people are going to return to their cars if they don't feel safe."
As Denmark and the Netherlands have demonstrated, infrastructure is a vital factor in persuading more people to take up cycling. One UK city that's been working hard to improve its cycling infrastructure is Cardiff. In 2017, Cardiff Council launched a 10-year cycling strategy, which aims to make walking or cycling the first choice for short trips within the city. Working with transport planners and civil engineers, the council has identified five primary route corridors for cycleways, connecting major destinations, existing communities and strategic development sites across the city. In the coming years, over 30km of segregated cycle routes will radically improve Cardiff's cycling infrastructure. Clearly, Cardiff's efforts are paying off: last year, the city came top in a poll to be named Britain's best cycling city.
The rewards of cycling for individuals and for wider society are numerous. Cycling causes almost no noise or air pollution and consumes far fewer resources than automobiles. It's also good for physical and mental health and is much more affordable than other modes of transport.
The economic impacts of cycling are also considerable. A 2015 study by the University of Birmingham highlighted a number of benefits: cyclists visit local shops more regularly than drivers; property values of homes in cycle-friendly areas are higher; cycling to work leads to lower staff turnover and fewer sick days; and facilities allowing children to cycle to school save on the public cost of school travel.
With governments now aiming to build back better, fairer and greener, perhaps there's never been a better time to learn lessons from our neighbours on how to be a cycle-friendly society.
Further reading: more on sustainable transport from The Knowledge Exchange
Public transport: lessons from our Nordic neighbours
Posted in Planning, development and property, Transport, Infrastructure and communications	| Tagged bikes, cardiff, cars, copenhagen, cycling, Denmark, infrastructure, motor vehicles, Netherlands, transport, urban planning | Leave a comment
Housing at the push of a button
Posted on September 17, 2018 by jamescarson2014
Sometimes it takes an intractable problem to inspire an inventive solution. Faced with an ageing construction workforce and a shortage of apprentices, the Netherlands has come up with what may prove to be the makings of a housing revolution.
Collaborating with the public and private sectors, Eindhoven University of Technology has been working on a plan called Project Milestone to build five 3D printed houses in the city of Eindhoven next year.
A technology whose time has come
3D printing is a media-friendly term that's often used as an alternate name for the wider technology of additive manufacturing (AM). The process involves the use of a computer and computer-aided design software to relay messages to a machine which "prints" material in the desired shape. The technology has been in development over the past thirty years, but recently large-scale 3D printers have emerged which can handle materials such as plastic, metal and concrete.
3D printing gets building
Dutch architects and civil engineers have been leading the way in exploring the construction possibilities of AM. In 2016, DUS Architects 3D printed an eight-square-metre cabin, and later initiated a project to build a full-scale canal house in Amsterdam. Meanwhile, in the south-eastern town of Gemert, the world's first 3D-printed concrete bridge was opened in 2017.
Project Milestone is by far the most ambitious AM construction initiative to date. A park in Eindhoven will be the site for five homes which have been designed to resemble boulders left behind by a retreating ice sheet. Van Wijnen, the contractor for Project Milestone, explains that the building process will be a learning curve:
"The houses will be printed one after the other, which means that each can benefit from what was learned on the previous and can be adapted directly to the wishes of the residents. For example, the first house will be a single-storey structure printed off-site. The ambition is to print the fifth home on location as three layers."
The homes of the future?
Van Wijnen and other proponents of concrete printing in 3D believe it has the potential to drastically change the future of residential construction in terms of speed, affordability, sustainability, freedom of form and choice. Company director Rudy van Gurp forecasts that by 2022, about 5% of homes will be made using a 3D printer:
"We see Milestone not as an experiment, but as a pioneering innovation that will cause a stir in the construction sector."
In the UK, as the gap between demand and supply of housing continues to widen, the need to build more homes is growing. With savings in material waste, energy and CO₂ emissions, AM presents significant benefits for the construction sector, which will be closely watching developments in Eindhoven. Recent research suggests that, far from being a here-today-gone-tomorrow fad, AM is set to transform the future of building for good:
"The adoption of AM as an advanced technology appears to have a secure place in the future of construction, one that will most likely be unbeatable when it comes to, amongst others: shorten localised value chains and production expenses, increase resource efficiency and environmental sustainability by the inclusion of recycled materials and cutting on transportation costs."
For further examples of innovative housing, take a look at our previous blog posts:
Housing models for the future
PassivHaus … a home for all seasons?
The Aktivhaus: is this the future of sustainable living?
Prefabs sprout: could factory-built homes tackle the housing crisis?
Posted in Housing	| Tagged 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, AM, construction, Eindhoven, Eindhoven University of Technology, housing, Netherlands, Project Milestone, Van Wijnen | 1 Comment
Bumps in the road for bike-sharing schemes
Posted on February 28, 2018 by jamescarson2014
Image: Paul Wong, Chief Data Officer, PanelHype, Victoria, Australia
Last year, we reported on the rapid rise of bike-share schemes around the world. Since then, bike-sharing has continued to grow in its existing strongholds, while new schemes have been launched in places as varied as Lisbon and Detroit. But the nature of bike-sharing has also undergone dramatic changes, with some welcoming the new developments, and others branding them a public nuisance.
The most significant change has been the rise of dockless bike-sharing schemes. Over the past four years, two companies – Ofo and Mobike – have transformed bike-sharing in China, enabling people to rent a bike simply and quickly with the aid of a smartphone app. There are no pick-up or drop-off bike stations; cyclists simply find a bike using a GPS locator, pay and go. When they've reached their destination, cyclists can leave the bikes wherever they please.
Ofo, Mobike and a growing number of rivals have revolutionised transportation in China. Half the population of Beijing – 11 million people – have registered for the schemes; across the country, more than 100 million bike-share apps have been downloaded. The success of app-driven bike-sharing schemes in China means they are now cropping up elsewhere in Asia, as well as in Australia, Europe and North America.
The pros and cons of dockless bike-sharing
Bike-sharing is an affordable and environmentally-friendly way of getting around, especially in congested city centres. And, as The Washington Post has observed, dockless bike-sharing schemes 'solve what planners call the "first-mile-last-mile problem," helping people get from their homes to a bus stop, for example, or from a subway station to their final destination.'
But the new schemes have also generated problems. In Shanghai, where there are now over forty bike-sharing companies, bikes have been abandoned in large numbers outside subway stations and office buildings, clogging up pavements and creating what locals have called "a new generation of trash".
Elsewhere – from Melbourne to Manchester, Sydney to San Francisco – the sudden appearance of hundreds of bikes on the streets (sometimes without the permission of the local authority) has been met with mixed reactions.
For cyclists looking for a truly door-to-door service, the new schemes offer convenience and flexibility. However, instances of theft and vandalism have highlighted the negative impacts of dockless schemes.
Within a month of Mobike launching its bike-share scheme in Manchester, images of damaged bikes started to appear on social media, and at least two bikes were dumped in a canal. Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere in the UK, as well as in Australia, the United States and Spain.
Getting bike-sharing right
Cities have been on a steep learning curve in coming to terms with dockless bikes, and there have been some very different responses.
Shanghai, Beijing and Amsterdam have taken a hard line by banning new dockless bike-share services. In London, Wandsworth Council impounded more than a hundred bikes, claiming that they were causing obstructions and blocking parking spaces, although cyclists using the scheme argued the move was excessive.
Other cities have introduced new regulations on dockless bike-sharing. In September, Transport for London published a dockless bike-share code of practice outlining requirements for operators.
In Australia, three Melbourne local authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with dockless bike share operator oBike. The terms of the MOU require oBike to ensure their bikes do not obstruct access and to relocate any dangerously parked bikes.
The dockless bike-share companies themselves have been learning the lessons of early teething problems.
The Platform for European Bicycle Sharing and Systems, which brings together bike mobility companies across Europe, has prepared a policy framework which aims to guide cities through the process of implementing a new bike sharing system.
Other companies have turned to technology. Urbosolutions and oBike are among those bike-share services now providing local authorities with a "geo-fencing" option. This enables councils to designate zones where bikes may not be parked. Bike-share users entering a geo-fenced area are unable to lock their bikes until they move outside the zone. Cyclists who fail to comply will incur penalties.
The changing face of bike-sharing
The explosive growth of dockless bike-share services has undoubtedly benefitted city dwellers looking for flexible, affordable, sustainable and healthy transportation options. But as bike wars heat up among operators, and between bike share companies and local authorities, cities need to develop new regulatory frameworks for the smooth management of bike-share schemes. At the same time, the operators need to rethink how their businesses work.
As for the future, bike-sharing will continue to evolve, with forecast developments including payment for bike rentals using cryptocurrencies, the launch of dockless electric bikes and continued expansion into new territories.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in these Knowledge Exchange blog posts:
Urban bike sharing: a tale of two cities
Urban cycling innovations: smart cities get on their bikes
Posted in Transport, Infrastructure and communications	| Tagged Amsterdam, App-driven Bike-share, Australia, Beijing, bike share, bike sharing, bikes, Bikeshare, Bikesharing, China, cycles, cycling, Dockless bikes, manchester, Melbourne, Mobike, Netherlands, oBike, Ofo, Shanghai, Urbosolutions | Leave a comment
Test drives: around the world, driverless buses are taking to the streets
Navya Driverless Shuttle Bus, Lyon. Photo: Navya-Technology.com
They may have a top speed of under 50 kilometres per hour, but driverless buses are moving into the fast lane of transport innovation. In recent months, cities around the world have been trialling automated bus services:
Driverless buses constructed by French technology firm Navya have started appearing on the roads of France, Switzerland, and Australia.
The "WePod", developed by Delft Technical University has been carrying passengers to, from and around the campus of Wageningen University & Research centre in the Netherlands.
Auto-mobility
While Google have been grabbing most of the headlines to do with driverless vehicles, the French technology firm of Navya has been designing and producing autonomous cars since 2014. In October 2015, Navya launched its ARMA bus.
The ARMA does not require any driver or specific infrastructure, and has onboard sensors to avoid collisions. The electrically-powered vehicle is also environmentally friendly; its batteries can last from 5 to 13 hours, depending on the configuration and the traffic conditions.
The ARMA buses are not designed to replace mass-transit networks. With a capacity of no more than 15 passengers and speeds of no greater than 50 km per hour, the ARMA buses are designed to cover short distances, following distinct routes that avoid heavy traffic. However, they could prove ideal for locations such as airports and conference centres. Since the beginning of September, the ARMA buses have been carrying passengers on ten-minute journeys through the futuristic Confluence district of Lyon. And Navya shuttle buses are also ferrying workers and visitors around the EDF power plant in Civaux, The driverless service replaced a diesel bus, cutting waiting time down from 15 to 5 minutes. EDF estimates the time savings could result in as much as 3 million euros' worth of extra productivity.
Navya Driverless Shuttle Bus,EDF, Civaux. Photo: Navya-Technology.com
Driverless buses called "WePods" have taken to the public roads as part of a pilot project in the Dutch province of Gelderland.
The project managers see numerous possibilities for the autonomous vehicles, such as on-demand pick-up services, filling public transport gaps in rural areas and provision of garbage collections. Ultimately, driverless buses could help solve urban parking problems and increase road capacity. And because around 70% of public transport costs are due to personnel costs, the WEpods could also save transport authorities money.
Addressing concerns
Naturally, concerns have been raised about the safety of driverless vehicles. The truth is that no type of transport is 100% safe. Even though driverless vehicles have sensors, cameras, radar and lasers to prevent collisions, accidents caused by human-driven vehicles will still happen.
However, the designers of driverless vehicles are adopting a safety-first culture. In many of the vehicles, data is stored in the equivalent of an aircraft's "black box", enabling lessons to be learned from incidents taking place during the journey.
The trend towards driverless buses shows no sign of slowing down. In 2015, a self-driving bus took passengers on a 20-mile journey through the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. In Kista, north-west of Stockholm, members of the public were invited to test-ride driverless buses as part of the town's April 2016 mobility week. And in August 2016, trials of automated buses took place in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
With regard to automated transport, it seems that the stuff of science fiction is fast becoming a matter of fact.
If you've enjoyed this blog post, you might also like some of our other posts focusing on transport:
Rural transport: connecting communities
A tale of five cities: night time transport infrastructure in global cities
A vélorution in the making: how Montreal is reshaping its streets to become a cycle-friendly city
Are cars the enemy of liveable cities?
Posted in Transport, Infrastructure and communications	| Tagged ARMA, buses, Civaux, collisions, driverless buses, driverless vehicles, EDF, France, Gelderland, helsinki, Kista, lyon, Navya, Netherlands, traffic, transport, Wageningen, WEbo, Zhengzhou | 1 Comment
'Illustration © EFFEKT'
The Netherlands covers an area of 41,543 km², and has a population of 17 million people. That works out at 488 people per square kilometre, making Holland the most densely populated country in the European Union. By comparison, the UK has a population density of 413 people per sq km, while the figure for Scotland is just 68 people per sq km
Statistics like that matter when it comes to waste management. Lack of space in the Netherlands has prompted successive governments to divert waste from landfill, and encourage more recycling. The waste management movement was strongly influenced by Ad Lansink, a chemistry lecturer turned politician, who developed "Lansink's Ladder". This tool has six "rungs", with disposal on the bottom, then recovery, recycling, reuse and on the top rung prevention.
The Dutch approach has reaped impressive benefits, with high rates of recycling and most of the remainder being incinerated to generate electricity and heat.
However, there is a growing sense that recycling in the Netherlands may be close to its limit. In 2015, Green Growth in the Netherlands reported that since 2000, the percentage of recycled waste has remained more or less constant.
"Recycled material reached 81% in 2012, a high share that has been fairly constant over the years. This may indicate that the recycling percentages are close to their achievable maximum."
The Dutch are now looking for further ways to create more value from recycled waste.
ReGen Villages
One such idea is the development of "regenerative villages" (ReGen). These self-reliant communities will produce their own food, generate their own energy and recycle their own waste.
The ReGen model is the brainchild of California-based ReGen Villages, which is partnering with EFFEKT, a Danish architecture practice, to launch a pilot version in the Netherlands this year.
Each ReGen community will contain a variety of homes, greenhouses and public buildings, with built-in sustainable features, such as solar power, communal fruit and vegetable gardens and shared water and waste management systems. The five principles underpinning the concept are:
energy positive homes,
door-step high-yield organic food production,
mixed renewable energy and storage,
water and waste recycling,
empowerment of local communities
The first 25 pilot prefabricated homes will be located at Almere in the west of Holland. Almere has experienced exponential growth, rising from farmland in the 1970s to become the seventh largest city in the Netherlands.
Waste management is a key element in the ReGen villages, which will have 'closed-loop' waste-to-resource systems that turn waste into energy.
Prospects and problems
There are plans to roll out the model in other communities, in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Off-grid communities are not a new idea. But the necessary technology, falling costs and consumer demand have reached a point where the ReGen approach may become truly sustainable. The idea offers the promise of meeting the challenges of rising populations making unprecedented demands on limited resources.
Interviewed in The Guardian, Frank Suurenbroek, professor of urban transformation at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, acknowledged the need for such projects, but also highlighted potential problems:
"A possible field of tension is how the technological demands of sustainability and circularity [interact with] spatial configurations needed to create attractive places and the desire to create new houses fast. Both worlds have to learn how to connect. Experiments with new sustainable quarters are interesting and needed, but a major issue is how to do this within existing built areas."
All eyes on Almere
Once the first 25 homes are built, a further 75 will complete the village. It will take a lot of time, money, skill and muscle to make the project a success . We'll be watching with interest to see if the vision can be turned into reality.
Our thanks to EFFEKT in Copenhagen for their permission to reproduce the images in this blog post.
If you've found this blog post interesting, you may also like our previous posts on recycling and the circular economy:
Something old into something new: innovations in recycling
An all-round approach: could the circular economy help the world turn the corner on climate change?
The UK generates more food waste than anywhere else in Europe …what's being done to tackle the problem?
Posted in Environment, Housing, Planning, development and property, Regeneration and community development	| Tagged #recycleweek, Almere, circular economy, communities, community empowerment, community gardens, EFFEKT, ENERGY, food production, Holland, homes, housing, Netherlands, recycling, ReGen, ReGen Villages, solar power, sustainable development, waste management | 2 Comments
Is the total academisation of schools in England a good idea?
Posted on March 21, 2016 by staceydingwall
by Stacey Dingwall
In one of the major announcements made as part of last week's Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, declared that all schools in England must become academies by 2020, or at least have official plans to do so by 2022. Any schools who fail to comply with this timetable will be forced to do so under new powers adopted by the government.
The policy, Osborne claimed, would "set schools free from local bureaucracy" and is part of his government's plan to "make sure that every child gets the best start in life". As the plan was announced, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan tweeted that "Full academisation will empower great teachers & leaders giving them autonomy and accountability to let their schools succeed". Writing in a white paper published the following day, her department stated that removing schools from local authority control would help to "empower local communities, putting children and parents first and clearly defining the role of local government".
More academies – the reaction
Reactions to the announcement were broadly negative, with the reform attracting criticism from local authorities, the shadow education secretary, unions, teachers, think tanks and parents, amongst others. Alongside Conor Ryan, Director of Research at the Sutton Trust, many pointed towards the fact that limited evidence exists of academies' ability to improve the attainment levels of disadvantaged pupils, which was their original purpose. A loss of accountability to parents was also raised as a concern by some, including the Local Government Association, who stated that they opposed the handing over of "significant" powers in areas – including the curriculum – to "unelected civil servants".
It was also noted that the government has decided to go ahead with the reform despite a recent letter to Morgan from Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England and head of Ofsted, which described the results of recent HMI inspections of academies as "worrying". Wilshaw also wrote that many of the inspected multi-academy trusts displayed the same weaknesses as the worst performing local education authorities, and that the large salaries paid to the chief executives of these trusts was a "poor use of public money".
Ongoing concerns
The Budget announcement comes almost two years after we first looked at issues with the academies programme on the blog. At that time, we reported on concerns that money which could be spent on addressing the shortage of school places in London was instead being used to open academies in areas where there was no urgent need for more places.
International experience: America and the Netherlands
After facing similar criticism to the English programme of failing to improve the attainment of poorer pupils, some are suggesting that the American charter schools programme, which heavily influenced the creation of the academies programme, is in decline. The Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, continues to be a vocal opponent of the movement, despite facing legal challenges over his refusal to guarantee space to new and expanding charter schools.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in South Carolina in November 2015, former charter supporter and potential Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton voiced her opinion that charter schools do not engage with the "hardest-to-reach" kids, or if they do, "they don't keep them".
Writing for the Institute of Education, University College London blog, Toby Greany and Melanie Ehren considered the experience of the Netherlands, a country whose schools system has higher rates of autonomy than England. Two issues experienced by the Dutch Schools Boards, which were set up to oversee groups of primary schools, are highlighted as particularly relevant for England:
Some Boards have been placed into special financial measures due to their failure to correctly predict their pupil numbers; this, it is argued, could befall academies in England who cover more than one local authority area.
Due to limited engagement with teaching staff and parents, the Boards have not managed to fully embed themselves as legitimate in the eyes of society.
Evidence update
Since our 2014 blog, both the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) have published new evidence on academies, focusing on their impact on pupil attainment. In their May 2015 review of available evidence, the NFER noted several difficulties in evaluating the performance of academies due to several gaps in the evidence. The review concluded that while there is some evidence to suggest that sponsored secondary academies have had a positive impact on attainment, no significant difference in progress could be found between converter academies and similar non-academy schools. In addition, no conclusive evidence was found of the impact of academisation on primary pupils' attainment.
In a think piece published alongside the evidence review, the NFER concluded that further expansion of the academies programme by the government would require the following factors to justify it:
a clearly articulated theory of change
the right evidence
sufficient capacity
Given the reaction to the Budget's announcement, it can be assumed that most are of the opinion that the government has not yet managed to provide sufficient justification for its decision.
Further reading from our blog on the English education system:
Improving attainment … what recent evaluations tell us
Government's free schools programme comes under fire again
Can Pisa be trusted?
Posted in Education and Skills	| Tagged #Budget2016, academies, academies programme, academy expansion, accountability, America, attainment, Bill de Blasio, CEP, charter schools, Dutch School Boards, education, evidence, free schools, George Osborne, government, Hillary Clinton, IOE, local education authority, local government, multi academy trusts, Netherlands, NFER, Nicky Morgan, Ofsted, primary schools, secondary schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw | 1 Comment
Flood prevention and protection: how the Dutch do it
Posted on February 1, 2016 by jamescarson2014
Dredging to make a new canal and new recreation area, for flood control, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Image by Steven Vance via Creative Commons
"Every time there is a crisis, we see an opportunity"
– Jan Hendrik Dronkers, director general, Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment
It's been another stormy weekend, with large parts of the UK experiencing damage and disruption from high winds and flooding. Storm Gertrude is the latest in a succession of storms to hit the country since December. Thousands of homes and businesses have been flooded, not only in rural areas, but in the city centres of Leeds, York and Manchester. The storms have also left stretches of Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and Aberdeenshire under water. And in Cumbria, one especially hard hit village has been flooded four times in eight weeks.
Although unprecedented, the most recent storms to hit the UK follow significant flooding events over the past decade. A report by the Met Office in 2011 suggested that this exceptional run of bad weather may be part of a trend towards more intense rainfall.
The increasing prevalence of flooding in the UK has put additional pressures on local and national government. Local councils have had to make provision for those made homeless, inform householders about support, repair roads and support the emergency services. At a wider level, initiatives, such as the Scottish Government's flood prevention action plan, and the review of flood defence investment in England are indicative of how seriously the problem is now being viewed (although one recent opinion poll indicates that more needs to be done). The human costs of flooding are incalculable, but the economic impact is significant. Research by the Environment Agency estimated that record-breaking floods in 2012 could have cost the UK economy close to £600m.
Flood prevention in the Netherlands: making a virtue out of a crisis
In the Netherlands, where 60 per cent of the population lives below sea level, the threat from flooding has been an ever-present worry for hundreds of years. But in recent decades, the risks have appeared to be escalating. In 1953, a severe storm in the North Sea caused floodwater to inundate south-west Holland, resulting in 1800 fatalities (the same storm killed more than 300 people in the UK).
The Dutch response to the 1953 flooding was the Delta Project, a system of dams, sluices, locks, dykes, levees, and storm surge barriers, intended to prevent similar disasters striking again.
The Hartelkering storm surge barrier in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, part of the Delta Works project . Image: Quistnix at nl.wikipedia via Creative Commons
Making room for the river
In 1993 and again in 1995, the focus of concern shifted to the south-east of the Netherlands, when heavy rains threatened to breach the dikes holding back the waters of the Meuse and Waal rivers. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, and although the flood defences held, the experience came as a profound shock to the country. "We thought we were prepared for everything," an infrastructure and environment ministry official told The Surveyor magazine, "We thought evacuation was for other countries."
This time, the Dutch responded with the Room for the River programme. The spatial development scheme not only involves the construction of higher, stronger dikes, but also the creation of wider, deeper floodplains. These give rivers additional space, reducing the chance of flooding elsewhere. The project has also involved difficult decisions, including the displacement of 200 families. But the near-catastrophes of 1993 and 1995 brought home that there was no alternative to relocation.
While the Dutch government is funding the €2.3bn project, it is being delivered in collaboration with local authorities, water boards and private sector partners. As well as improving flood defences, the project has generated some impressive spin-offs. In Holland's oldest city of Nijmegen, a completely new island has been formed from a flood control channel, providing additional land for housing and recreation. In effect, a new section of the city is being created from the river that once threatened to submerge it.
At the end of 2015, as Storm Frank brought further misery to many residents across the UK, an analysis found that 10,000 homes are being built on floodplains in Britain each year. Although many of these may be protected by existing flood defences, recent flood events provide cause for concern.
Hard experience has reminded the Netherlands that flooding is a natural function of rivers. Instead of fighting the elements, the Dutch are becoming experts in water management, and offering advice to other flood-prone countries, such as Bangladesh and Vietnam. Perhaps the UK can also learn from the Holland's flood resilience know-how: it may be time to look across the water.
Follow us on Twitter to see what developments in policy and practice are interesting our research team.
Further blog posts from The Knowledge Exchange on flooding and climate change:
After the floods
Posted in Environment, Planning, development and property, Regeneration and community development, Uncategorized	| Tagged Delta Project, environment, Flood Defences, Flood Prevention, Flood Protection, flooding, Holland, infrastructure, Netherlands, Rivers, Room for the River | 3 Comments


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SCENE: A large room with a door at the back and another at the side opening to an inner room. A desk and a chair in the middle. An hour-glass on a bracket near the door. A creepy stool near it. Some benches. The WISE MAN sitting at his desk.
WISE MAN [turning over the pages of a book]. Where is that passage I am to explain to my pupils to-day? Here it is, and the book says that it was written by a beggar on the walls of Babylon: "There are two living countries, the one visible and the one invisible; and when it is winter with us it is summer in that country; and when the November winds are up among us it is lambing-time there." I wish that my pupils had asked me to explain any other passage, for this is a hard passage. [The FOOL comes in and stands at the door, holding out his hat. He has a pair of shears in the other hand.] It sounds to me like foolishness; and yet that cannot be, for the writer of this book, where I have found so much knowledge, would not have set it by itself on this page, and surrounded it with so many images and so many deep colors and so much fine gilding, if it had been foolishness.
FOOL. Give me a penny.
WISE MAN. [Turns to another page.] Here he has written: "The learned in old times forgot the visible country." That I understand, but I have taught my learners better.
FOOL. Won't you give me a penny?
WISE MAN. What do you want? The words of the wise Saracen will not teach you much.
FOOL. Such a great wise teacher as you are will not refuse a penny to a Fool.
WISE MAN. What do you know about wisdom?
FOOL. Oh, I know! I know what I have seen.
WISE MAN. What is it you have seen?
FOOL. When I went by Kilcluan where the bells used to be ringing at the break of every day, I could hear nothing but the people snoring in their houses. When I went by Tubbervanach where the young men used to be climbing the hill to the blessed well, they were sitting at the crossroads playing cards. When I went by Carrigoras where the friars used to be fasting and serving the poor, I saw them drinking wine and obeying their wives. And when I asked what misfortune had brought all these changes, they said it was no misfortune, but it was the wisdom they had learned from your teaching.
WISE MAN. Run round to the kitchen, and my wife will give you something to eat.
FOOL. That is foolish advice for a wise man to give.
FOOL. What is eaten is gone. I want pennies for my bag. I must buy bacon in the shops, and nuts in the market, and strong drink for the time when the sun is weak. And I want snares to catch the rabbits and the squirrels and the bares, and a pot to cook them in.
WISE MAN. Go away. I have other things to think of now than giving you pennies.
FOOL. Give me a penny and I will bring you luck. Bresal the Fisherman lets me sleep among the nets in his loft in the winter-time because he says I bring him luck; and in the summer-time the wild creatures let me sleep near their nests and their holes. It is lucky even to look at me or to touch me, but it is much more lucky to give me a penny. [Holds out his hand.] If I wasn't lucky, I'd starve.
WISE MAN. What have you got the shears for?
FOOL. I won't tell you. If I told you, you would drive them away.
WISE MAN. Whom would I drive away...?


We have nothing against neutral kitchens — Features like white subway tile or stainless steel appliances are classics. But to be honest, these days we are thirsty for color.
Vibrant cabinetry, jewel-toned ranges, and colorful tile in every shade of the rainbow are all showstopping ways to put a bold, personal twist on a cooking space. Even better, colorizing your kitchen can be as easy as adding several cherry-picked accessories. To help you create the hue-infused space of your dreams, behold these 37 colorful kitchen ideas.
Hello yellow! In this vibrant kitchen by Alys Design a fresh coat of the sunshiny shade brightens up the vintage cabinets. The color looks surprisingly modern against the natural wood walls.
You do not have to stick with a dull neutral shade when deciding a monochromatic color scheme for a kitchen remodel. Here's a fiery hue of red spices up a tiny kitchen by Gleba and Stoermer.
In the modern farmhouse by D2 Interieurs, several colorful accents punch up the mostly white cooking space. A couple of green light fixtures illuminate the kitchen island. Pretty upholstery takes the rustic bar stools from bland to snazzy. The frosting on the cupcake is the leaf print window shade.
Cement tiles featuring a flying flock of birds add a little color and whimsy to a muted gray kitchen by Vidal Design Collaborative.
There is plenty to love in this colorful, country kitchen by Alison Kandler Interior Design. For starters, stencils and paint update the old, wood floors. The red kitchen island brings cheerful contrast. Yellow patterned wallpaper beautifies the built-in cabinets. The blue Viking range and cherry red cabinet knobs both help to balance the space.
We love this Mondrian inspired kitchen by Ande Bunbury Architects. The team transformed basic cabinetry by painting each door a different color. Both the pink and blue countertops are made of resilient acrylic polymer.
Mixing and matching colorful tile is an unexpected way to perk up a kitchen, for example, like in the two different backsplashes in this blue kitchen by Vidal Design Collaborative.
In this Australian home by Brett Mickan Interior Design, the green wall envelopes the space with color while also having a receding effect that sets the tone for the white and blue kitchen features.
Spanish tile and a turquoise kitchen island both serve up heaping doses of color in this cooking space by James David Custom Homes.
Patterned wallpaper and a collection of curious objects colorize this eclectic kitchen in a studio apartment by Katie Rosenfeld Interior Design.
To enliven this neutral cooking space, interior designer Katie Rosenfeld employed various shades of green, blue and orange. Pretty patterned fabrics spice up the breakfast nook. Three orange drum shades and three blue bar stools sweeten the kitchen island.
This new cooking space by interior designer Alison Kandler packs an irresistible retro vibe. The yellow screen door was picked up at a local flea market and later refinished. Green cabinetry adds to the old-timey kitchen feeling.
Bright color and touchable texture define this chic cooking space by Nerland Building and Restoration. The acid yellow wall anchors the area. The three-dimensional tile backsplash is an unexpected modern twist with a significant wow factor.
A Kelly green kitchen island adds brilliant color to this neutral cooking space by Copper Sky Renovations. Two more beautiful features worth mentioning are the gilded iron Morris Lanterns by McGee and Company that lend sparkle.
Dynamic colors and peppy patterns are a winning combination in this tropically inspired cooking space by Copper Sky Renovations. Solid surface countertops in turquoise add colorful swagger. The beautiful blue walls are topped off with a vibrant orange ceiling runner. The chevron fabric on the chairs tacks on extra pizazz. A multihued glass, mosaic backsplash stands out against the white cabinets.
Here a predominantly, white cooking space by Terracotta Design Build Company proves that primary colors are anything but juvenile. The blue kitchen island and red bar stools are sophisticated pieces that pop against the white cabinetry.
Accessories abounding in color can instantly boost the mood in any room at home. Here, colorful Fiestaware, which is a line of multihued ceramic dinnerware, infuses a kitchen by Alison Kandler Interior Design with spirited zing.
Who says a minimalist kitchen has to feel cold and stark? This tiny cooking space by Brian O'Tuama Architecture features flat, front cabinets in various shades of blue. Punctuating things is a lime green radiator.
Cozy colors make this farmhouse kitchen designed by Traditional Bespoke Furniture incredibly lovable. Anchoring the space is a cherry red island with three vibrant bars stools. Art on the walls and decorative dishware pour on the colorful charm.
A beach house in Cape May, New Jersey gets a spanking new retro renovation by Knight Architects. Turquoise appliances perk up the kitchen with cheerful color. The red swinging doors and Coca-Cola bar stools are both happy finds. Providing practical task lighting over the sink are three Astron Aluminum Pendants by Rejuvenation. Our favorite update is the concrete countertop. It is an inexpensive feature with staying power.
Designer white walls and beautiful blue cabinetry are the essential ingredients in this charming cottage kitchen by Meriwether Inc Architecture & Design. An apron sink sprinkles on farmhouse style. A classic, subway tile backsplash brings enduring style. Cabinets panels over the refrigerator help the appliance to blend in instead of sticking out.
The interior design team behind Studio Stamp say adding brightness was vital when creating this cooking space. Several elements got the job done. Most notable is the splashy tile backsplash. Another interesting statement is the vertical rack brimming with colorful cookbooks.
Express your unique style with a one of a kind backsplash. When the owners of this home wanted to reveal their true inner colors, they turned to Mercury Mosaics. Here handmade subway tile in six different, yummy shades creates a spectacular focal point.
A yellow kitchen island anchors this cheerful kitchen by Alison Kandler Interior Designer. Upper cabinets lined with hot pink wallpaper break up white space. Green and blue furniture, and peppy pillows make for an extra buoyant breakfast nook.
Amity Worrel and Company designed this 1880s inspired kitchen for a period house. The labor of love captures the historical details noted throughout the home. All the cabinetry are a historic shade of teal. Brass screens on the cabinet doors are in step with the old-world look.
A neutral kitchen is a blank canvas for a backsplash exploding with vibrant colors. The design firm, 50 Degrees North Architects used paint to create the eye-catching installation. A glass sheet keeps the backsplash protected. The red bar stools unify space.
Orange took the helm of this kitchen renovation by Kristy Kropat Interior Design. A solid surface countertop and undermount sink both inject the space with delicious citrus. Over the kitchen table is the FL/Y pendant lamp by Kartell. Its acrylic shade filters light with a tinge orange.
When updating her kitchen, interior designer Tammy Bronfen incorporated swathes of turquoise, her absolute favorite shade. The custom-made cabinetry pairs beautifully with the gray, crackle backsplash. While her kitchen table looks small, it can extend to sit up to 10 people.
A custom black and gray kitchen by Parker Bathrooms get a colorful lift from glossy upper cabinets.
Avocado Sweets Design Studio gave a dingy and dark kitchen a new vibrant life. The showstopping feature in this rustic cooking spaces is the French range by Lacanche in deft blue. A green cabinet and a mix of small kitchen accessories add pleasing doses of enlivening color.
Chango and Company dialed up the color in this white kitchen by adding yellow bar stools and pineapple pattern wallpaper.
Several zesty accents invigorate this cooking space by The Jack and Mare Design and Build. A bold blue kitchen island with yellow bar stools brings balance. Colorful accents including the yellow light fixture and teal kitchen clock add several splashes of visual interest.
Two chairs introduce dashes of green color to this cobalt kitchen by Square Footage Inc. Rustic wood shelving adds a touch of warmth.
Warm up cool toned kitchen accents with a fresh and warm wall color. Here the interior designers at Nimú paired an orangy shade of salmon with navy blue.
A stone sink can add texture and color to a cooking space. In this rustic farmhouse kitchen by JAS Design Build, a soapstone example pairs beautifully with a yellow kitchen island.
A high impact fabric featuring a red dragon print satisfies a client's need for color in this eclectic cooking space by Square Footage Inc. We love how the material puts the focus on the breakfast nook.


• Save over 60 - 70% compared to normal cartridges.
• As simple to use as normal cartridges.
• Uses the latest Ink2image color matched inks.
• Supplied with two tanks per color for uninterrupted printing.
• No machine modification required.
The Duo refillable cartridge systems are supplied in kits that include a set of 4 oz bottles of Ink2image ink and two sets of refillable ink tanks. Featuring the same spongeless design as the original cartridges, these ink tanks are simply refilled using the included syringes when they run empty. The ink level monitor chips on the tanks automatically reset to full when a tank has run empty and is refilled. All Duo kits come with two complete sets of refillable tanks so that you can always have a filled tank ready to go into the printer, which means that you never have to stop printing to refill a tank. Cost savings are around 70% compared to normal cartridges. All kits include full instruction and all necessary refilling instructions. The refillable tanks can be refilled many times and are guaranteed to last for at least the number of refills provided by the included 4 oz bottles. Both refill bottles and empty tanks are available separately. All Ink2image inks are color matched to the original inks so that existing color settings and profiles can be used.
The cost saved by using Ink2image bulk ink is remarkably similar on all models of desk top photo printer. The example below has been calculated using an Epson Photo R2880 running original cartridges compared to our Cave Paint Elite Enhanced Color matched pigment inks supplied in bulk. We have used a 'street' price of $ 12.95 for an Epson original cartridge.
To purchase an Epson R2880 Duo kit which includes 8 x 4 oz bottles of Cave Paint Elite Enhanced ink costs $ 270.00. A 4 oz bottle contains the same amount of ink as eight original cartridges. Therefore, the refillable Duo kit includes the same ink as 64 original cartridges at an equivalent cost of $ 828.80. Cost saving $ 558.80. Ongoing savings are even higher after purchasing the initial Duo kit, with replacement 4 oz bottles of the Cave Paint Elite Enhanced inks priced at $ 27.50 each. This equates to an equivalent cost of $ 3.44 per refill when compared to an original cartridge.
Duo refillable cartridge kits are available for the most popular Epson desk top photo printer models. Please click on the links below for your model.


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Oct. 04, 2016 The CW
No Crying in Baseball Oct. 11, 2016
No Doubt Oct. 18, 2016
No Holds Barred Oct. 25, 2016
No Regrets Nov. 01, 2016
No Debts Remain Unpaid Nov. 15, 2016
No You Say It First Nov. 22, 2016
No Rest for the Weary Nov. 29, 2016
No Truer Words Dec. 05, 2016
No Soup for You Dec. 27, 2016
No Woman No Cry Jan. 03, 2017
NoTime Like the Present Jan. 10, 2017
No Sleep 'Til Reykjavik Jan. 17, 2017
Corinne Brinkerhoff
Jesse Rath
Joshua Sasse
Tori Anderson
Sarayu Rao
Kareema
When a risk-averse, straight-arrowed, female procurement manager at an Amazon-like distribution center falls in love with a free-spirited man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists, with comedic and poignant results.
Original title No Tomorrow
Last air date Oct. 11, 2016

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Kapai Puku No. 1 Gut Health has evolved from our Kapai Puku Original Blend with our new and improved formula.
Kapai Puku No. 1 Gut Health has evolved from our Kapai Puku Original Blend. It continues to have that wonderful raw ingredient taste of the Kapai Puku blends, but adds a hint of natural sweetness with the addition of Monk Fruit and naturally sundried South Australian Raisins.
Kapai Puku No. 1 Gut Health is formulated to cleanse and exfoliate your digestive tract with the introduction of Organic Chicory Root (a prebiotic which aids in feeding all the good bacteria in your gut) and to provide your body with a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
In Australia it is recommended that we consume 20 – 25g of fibre in our diets every day. Kapai Puku is one of the highest sources of fibre on the market. Adding Kapai Puku to your diet will not only help you get regular, but it will help you stay that way, leading to less constipation, bloating, irritable bowel and general digestive irritability. Fibre helps to increase the bulk and water content of the stool, thereby helping eliminate wastage and promoting good bowel habit and bowel movement, and of course overall general health.
New studies are also showing that some Fibre helps to promote and encourage healthy bacteria in your large intestines. It feeds the healthy bacteria such as Lactobacillus. This has a positive effect on overall health by increasing their populations and thus all the health benefits of our probiotics.
If you are not used to having a high-fibre diet, switching from low fibre to a high-fibre diet can create abdominal pain and flatulence - we suggest allowing some time for your gut to adapt, so slowly increase your amount of fibre and water intake over a week. And please talk to your Doctor or Specialist if you have any major Digestive concerns.
Sulphur Dioxide Free, Vegan Friendly, Diabetic Friendly, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, GMO Free and **Nut Free.
**Whilst our No. 1 Gut Health does not contain nuts, it may have been packaged on equipment that handles tree nuts.
Buckwheat, Sunflower Kernels, Linseed, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Millet Seeds, Chia Seeds, Poppyseeds, Natural Sundried Raisins Sulphate Free, Lions Mane, Chicory Root and Monk Fruit Powder.
Here are some easy ways to start introducing Kapai Puku to your diet.
Check out more of our amazing recipes.
Kapai Puku proudly supports the Sea Shepherd who guard our precious endangered sea life.


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Posted on January 7, 2022 by Point Pleasant Register
This Week in West Virginia History
Jan. 15, 1864: Frances Benjamin Johnston, pictured, was born in Grafton. Johnston gained national renown as the first female press photographer, and enjoyed a long and remarkable career as one of the nation's leading documentary, portrait, and artistic photographers.
West Virginia Humanities Council | Courtesy
Jan. 10, 1928: Gov. Howard Gore appointed Minnie Buckingham Harper, pictured, to fill the unexpired term of her husband, E. Howard Harper. She was the first African-American woman to serve as a member of a state legislative body in the United States.
The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org.
Jan. 9, 1911: Louise McNeill was born on the family farm in Pocahontas County. She was appointed poet laureate by Governor Jay Rockefeller in 1979, holding that title until her death in 1993.
Jan. 9, 1986: The first instant "scratch" lottery tickets were sold in West Virginia. Voters had approved the lottery amendment to the state constitution two years before.
Jan. 9, 2014: Hazardous chemicals were discovered leaking into the Elk River, contaminating the water supply for a nine-county region.
Jan. 10, 1846: Wetzel County was created from a part of Tyler County. It was named for Indian fighter Lewis Wetzel.
Jan. 10, 1860: Webster County was created from parts of Braxton, Nicholas, and Randolph counties. The county was named for Daniel Webster.
Jan. 10, 1923: Musician ''Curly'' Ray Cline was born in Baisden, Logan County. He was one of the most significant bluegrass fiddlers from West Virginia from 1938 until his retirement in 1993.
Jan. 10, 1925: Judge Elizabeth Virginia Hallanan was born in Charleston. She was West Virginia's first female federal court judge.
Jan. 10, 1928: Gov. Howard Gore appointed Minnie Buckingham Harper to fill the unexpired term of her husband, E. Howard Harper. She was the first African-American woman to serve as a member of a state legislative body in the United States.
Jan. 10, 1940: The Pond Creek No. 1 mine at Bartley in McDowell County exploded. The blast killed 91 miners, with another 47 escaping. Rescue teams worked five days to retrieve the bodies, but found no additional miners alive.
Jan. 11, 1865: Confederate forces under General Rosser burned the covered bridge at Beverly. Bridge builder Lemuel Chenoweth rebuilt the damaged span in 1872-73.
Jan. 11, 1873: Dwight W. Morrow was born in Huntington. Morrow was a financier, diplomat and a U.S. senator, representing New Jersey.
Jan. 11, 1893: U.S. Senator Harley Martin Kilgore was born in rural Harrison County. Kilgore served as a senator from West Virginia from 1940 until his death in 1952.
Jan. 12, 1869: Newspaperman Herschel Coombs Ogden was born near Fairmont. In 1888, he relocated to Wheeling and entered the newspaper business.
Jan. 13, 1905: Joseph H. Diss Debar died in Philadelphia. A supporter of the movement to create West Virginia, Diss Debar was commissioned in 1863 to design the Great Seal of West Virginia.
Jan. 14, 1842: Marion County was established and named after Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion. Middletown was chosen as the county seat, but the name was changed to Fairmont the following year.
Jan. 14, 1873: The first session of the Glenville Branch of the State Normal School began in the old Gilmer County courthouse. In 1943, the legislature changed the name to Glenville State College.
Jan. 15, 1799: Monroe County was established. It was named for James Monroe, the newly inaugurated governor of Virginia and later president of the United States.
Jan. 15, 1836: Braxton County was created from Kanawha, Lewis, and Nicholas counties. It is named for Carter Braxton, a Virginia statesman and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Jan. 15, 1848: Hancock County was established and named for statesman John Hancock.
Jan. 15, 1864: Frances Benjamin Johnston was born in Grafton. Johnston gained national renown as the first female press photographer, and enjoyed a long and remarkable career as one of the nation's leading documentary, portrait, and artistic photographers.
https://www.mydailyregister.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2022/01/web1_1.8-Frances.jpgJan. 15, 1864: Frances Benjamin Johnston, pictured, was born in Grafton. Johnston gained national renown as the first female press photographer, and enjoyed a long and remarkable career as one of the nation's leading documentary, portrait, and artistic photographers. West Virginia Humanities Council | Courtesy
https://www.mydailyregister.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2022/01/web1_1.8-Minnie.jpgJan. 10, 1928: Gov. Howard Gore appointed Minnie Buckingham Harper, pictured, to fill the unexpired term of her husband, E. Howard Harper. She was the first African-American woman to serve as a member of a state legislative body in the United States. West Virginia Humanities Council | Courtesy
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Want to Get the Best Price Toy Manufacturer in China?
There are thousands suppliers for each type of toys in China. It's hard to identify who is the real factory, who offer best price or quality.
In the past 2 years, our team helped over 500 people imported toys from China with the most competitive price.
Your agent will contact you in hours.
A professional agent from us helps you coordinate with factories, to ensure toys are produced according to your requirements.
Your agent will help you inspect toy quality in our warehouse. We find and fix problem in China, instead of leaving to your country.
Your agent will guide you what certifications you need for importing toys to your country. Help apply certification or get it from suppliers.
Your agent will suggest the best shipping solution among express, sea and air. Shipping cost is always very low, even sending by small quantity.
A lot of my friends, including our foreign customers and Chinese suppliers, do not prefer doing toy's business because there are countless different types of toy products, and get no idea about what to sell. Another reason is that many countries have a lot of rules about importing toys, which will certainly cause many troubles in this process.
But the truth is importing toys is not that complicated as you thought, you only need to choose some good products and right suppliers.
This article will give you a comprehensive introduction of how to import toys from China, including how to select products, how to find suitable suppliers, and some common problems with solutions.
As this article includes so much practical information, I organize it into 6 chapters. You can click on each title of chapters, and it will bring you to related content.
Chapter 1: What Kind of Toys Will Bring You Business?
So far with my experience, importers from different countries most prefer importing classic toyssuch as balls, cars, plush animals, because all these classic toys have large and stable demand every year. It's not necessary to worry about the sale as there is always customers who want them.
Besides, there are usually hot selling toys each year in the world, such as loom bands during 2013-2014, kinetic sand and balancing scooter during 2014-2015, fidget spinner during 2017-2018, finger monkey during 2017-2018. If you can discover the potential of these products and import them earlier than your competitors, then you will already make much money when other people start to sell. At that time, you can start to find next product.
Toys made in China have lots of categories, and I divide them in the following form by types and manufacture areas.
Classic Toys Yoyo, Balloon, Balls, Kaleidospce Chenghai, Yiwu, and other cities depending on products.
Baby Toys Baby Rattles, Baby Walker No specified cities, but mainly in Zhejiang and Guangdong Province.
Puzzles & DIY Toys Puzzles, Magic Cube High quality Puzzles mainly produced in Chenghai. DIY craft toys mainly produced in Yiwu.
Actually, many toy businesses would like to get a list of toy manufacturers in China, before going to purchase the toy products. But this is not correct. Before buying any toy, you have to be somehow familiar with the place of origin of the various toys first, then you can go ahead and find the right toy manufacturer for the toy products that you want to sell.
China's toy factories are located in different places and according to the different kind of toys they produce. So, if you want to look for suppliers online and already know where the type of toys come from, then it will be very helpful for you in identifying the suppliers and also much easier for you to compare prices & quality of different suppliers. I'll list the 5 main toy production areas in China below.
If you are specialized in toys business and are constantly purchasing them in large quantities, then Chenghai will be the best choice. You can find toys companies or factories, or things related to toys everywhere in this city.
This means that if you run remote controlled toys business and your suppliers are in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or Hangzhou, then the price of your purchase is likely to be higher than that of Chenghai. This is because 90% of these factories have to purchase toy accessories from factories in Chenghai, which in turn makes the cost of toys to be higher.
For instance, if a factory in Chenghai wants to produce a remote controlled car for you, they just need to purchase the main accessories of the toys from the local circuit board factories, wheel factories, and from other toy accessory factories, then assemble them. They don't have to purchase accessories from outside Chenghai. So, the cost will be greatly reduced, a lot of time will be saved, and the quality will be guaranteed.
1.2 How do toy manufacturers in Chenghai work? How to find them?
Most of the factories in Chenghai don't have their own sales team, and their English level is not very good as well. So, toy factories located in Chenghai usually send their samples to toy trading companies. Trading companies upload all products to their Alibaba pages or personal websites and place orders to these factories when foreigners order. Of course, there are also several large toy trading companies who have their own showrooms which can be thousands of square meters. Customers can visit their showroom, choose products, and place orders.
Besides, there are also many showroom companies in Chenghai where factories can show their samples by renting display racks (one rack costs $500-$1000 per year). If you are interested in displaying a product there, the companies will offer you the full factory's contact information. But most of the toy factories don't have good English-speaking salespeople, so you'd better have a Chinese translator to assist you. If you are planning to visit showrooms and contact factories directly or toys trading companies, this is a good thing to do.
The toy manufacturers in Yiwu mainly produce low-value toys like kids DIY craft toys, which are popular and you can see them everywhere in your countries. The toys include fad toys, loom bands, magic sand, etc. If you just want to find these small items, then Yiwu is the right place.
Just like Chenghai, Yiwu also produces lots of plastic toys. The advantage is that these toys are a lot cheaper in Yiwu, like DIY craft toys which are of low-value. And there are many similar toy accessory factories in Yiwu, which are also the toy accessory suppliers for Chenghai.
Apart from some DIY toys and low-value plastic toys, Yiwu has many Pool Rafts & Inflatable Ride-ons factories, such as the Floating Flamingo, which was on a very high demand a few years ago.
If you want to find Yiwu toy factories, then you can go to the Yiwu Wholesale market directly (I will be talking about Yiwu market in the next chapter). But if you are not familiar with Yiwu, then its better if you find a sourcing agent to help you.
Maybe, you want to ask me if you can find Yiwu suppliers on Alibaba. Of course, you can. There are lots of Yiwu suppliers on Alibaba and you need to identify whether the suppliers are real factories or not. In my experience, if a supplier has a variety of toys, then they are probably not the real factory. Because a real factory just produces a particular product and not a variety of products.
Maybe you're still confused about the toy markets in Chenghai and Yiwu. Don't worry, I will give you some practical advices according to your true situation.
In general, regardless of the price, Yiwu gathers the most complete toy categories. You can easily find plush toys, plastic toys, simple electronic toys, etc… at the lowest price in Yiwu market. There are some remote controlled and other high-tech toys suppliers in the market, but the price is not good. Because there are no manufacturers of complicated remote controlled and high-tech toys in Yiwu.
Usually, the price of Yiwu toys is the lowest, but the quality is not as good as you would expect.
Take a plastic toy as an example; the materials, glossiness, and color of the plastic toys produced in Chenghai are much better than those of Yiwu. Of course, the price of Yiwu will be half cheaper than that of Chenghai. To sum up, you need to make a balance between the price and quality according to your real demands.
If toys are only a part of your business and you want to buy many other products in your container, then Yiwu will be a suitable place. Because it's very convenient to buy all your products in Yiwu wholesale market. Even if you buy Chenghai made toys in Yiwu, the price here won't have a great difference from buying from Chenghai.
Although you can also find the plush toy manufacturers in Chenghai and Yiwu, the scale is relatively small. And in recent years, these plush and stuffed toy manufacturers have gradually moved to Jiangxi Province in China (Neighboring Zhejiang province) due to the high cost of production.
If you have a large order, I suggest that you go to Yongjia directly. You can take around 1-2 days and visit the factories with a local guide in the area. Generally, some factories of Yongjia and Wenzhou have booths in the Yiwu market, so you can also go to the Yiwu market directly to find the educational toy manufacturers.
Qiaoxia, a small town located in Yongjia City, is the main place where learning and playground toys are produced in China. If you plan to visit China to source suppliers for this kind of toys, you can go to Qiaoxia town as many factories are gathering there. If you are searching suppliers online, it's better to pay attention to their locations in China, and make sure they are from Wenzhou City, because Yongjia is belong to Wenzhou.
If you want to find a wooden toy factory in China, you can go to Yunhe, Zhejiang Province. Yunhe is rich in wood, which led to the development of the wooden toy industry. There are many wooden toy factories in this area. Also, there is a wooden toy market in Yunhe, where you can find a supplier.
However, I suggest that you bring a translator or agent to help you follow up on production. Because there are very few foreigners who visit Yunhe and just a few locals can speak English as well.
If you have large purchases, you can find a larger factory there. Yunhe has various large factories that supply many well-known brands abroad. However, if you have a small order, you may be able to buy stocks there and it's also almost impossible to produce your own customized products. Or else, you can take 1-2 days to find a small factory with the guidance of a local guide.
The two markets have their own characteristics. You just need to choose one that meets your demands.
Yiwu market has five districts in total. Most of the China toy factories are based on the first floor of the first district. You can find any toy that you want here. The Yiwu toy market is divided into three parts: ordinary-toy area, electric-toy area, and the plush-toy area. You can look for toy suppliers in different areas depending on the type of toy that you want.
In the Yiwu market, many of the similar products are gathered in the same area. So, you can easily find the same product at various booths, which is very convenient for you when it comes to comparing the price and quality. In the Yiwu market, many toy manufacturers can only speak a few simple English words. They normally discuss the price with you using a calculator.
Usually, a product has a MOQ (Minimum order quantity) of more than $200. If it's a relatively high-value toy such as a drone, then the MOQ may be relatively small.
When you ask the suppliers for the price, their offer for 1000 products and 5, 000 products may be the same. This shouldn't surprise you. Because the suppliers don't know if you can place an order and what your real and specific needs are. They need to communicate with you in depth and calculate the cost before giving you an accurate quote.
One thing that you have to pay more attention to is that many toy suppliers don't provide certification. If you don't have the experience of importing toys from China or with your own freight forwarding, then you will come across many difficulties in the importing process.
So, if you don't know Yiwu market very well and aren't familiar with how to import from China, then you'd better find a professional sourcing agent to help you.
Unlike the Yiwu toy market that gathers many toy suppliers together, toy wholesale markets in Guangzhou are scattered and every market is in a separate small building. So, you will find the toy wholesale markets are scattered in every corner of Guangzhou.
There are several small buildings on Yide Road, Guangzhou. But the classification of toys in these buildings is quite mixed up. The MOQ is also relatively low, but the price is much higher. Usually, customers from Southeast Asia prefer to go there to purchase toys and a few Europeans as well.
There are a few real factories in Guangzhou markets. So, if you want to find a real toy factory, I don't recommend going there. In addition, suppliers of toy wholesale markets in Guangzhou can't speak English very well, so you need to find a Chinese translator as your purchasing agent to help you communicate with the suppliers. It's not easy to find a suitable purchasing agent temporarily in Guangzhou. Hence, I suggest that you look for a professional one online before going to Guangzhou.
In particular, if you mainly want to purchase clothing, bags, watches, jewelry, and just to get a small number of toys, then you can entirely purchase at the toy wholesale market in Guangzhou.
However, if you have a larger order, for example, you want to purchase more than $1000 for each kind of toy, then, I suggest you to go to Chenghai or Yiwu markets. Because the Guangzhou Toy Wholesale Market is only suitable for people who buy toys in small quantities.
Here is the information on the various toy exhibitions in China.
Do not be deceived by Chinese suppliers online as they all tell you that they are factories, and they can produce whatever kind of toys you like. Actually, most suppliers you can contact on Internet aretrading companies. Because the scale of many Chinese toy factories are usually not big, and most their orders are getting from trading companies. Some of toy factories also have shops on Alibaba, but they seldom get orders from foreigner buyers.
You can also find many big scale and professional toy factories in toy fairs, such as Canton Fair, and Global Sources Fair.
Searching suppliers online is the only way if you are not coming to China, and I suggest you to useAlibaba.com. To learn how to find good suppliers on Alibaba, please check another blog: Tips for Sourcing Good Suppliers on Alibaba: You Never Knew Before.
Some of you may consider some small wholesale platform such as Aliexpress or DHgate, but Idon't recommend you to source toys from this kind of platform, which choose international express as the shipping method. Because toy's value usually is not high, but product's size is always big, so the shipping cost is very high when use air freight and express, sometimes higher than the product's price. So the most economical shipping way is by sea freight, and purchase in large quantity, at least 2-3 CBM, otherwise your average shipping cost for each product will be very high.
Toy products are usually used by children, so many countries have strict rules and high requirement for toys. Except for this, toys products still have other problems that make it little more complicated than other products, and here are several main problems you may have when import toys from China.
Certificate and safety are the biggest one among all problems, and different countries have different required standards for imported toys. Here's some certification required by US and EU for toy products.
United States The first three tests of ASTM F963: Mechanical/Physical testing, Flammability testing, and Chemical testing. The another is CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act): lead and phthalates test, and labeling test.
European Union Toys exported to Europe have to pass Toy Safety Directive (EN 71 -1,2,3) and have a CE mark.
If you are importing large quantity of toys, you'd better do all required tests. But if your quantity is small, then the costs of all these tests are very high. The best way is to ask your suppliers to offer these test reports which they had done before, in order to make sure their products are meet the safety standards. If the suppliers cannot offer you, then you have to change to another who can offer test reports.
Suppliers in China usually won't do all these tests, most of them do part 1, 2, and 3 of EN 71 test and Phthalates test. When you get the EN 71 test report from them, be careful to check whether it includes EN71 part 3, which is the most important part, it can prove the hazardous substance in products are under required limits. Some suppliers will no test the part 3, because they are afraid that the test may fail.
Besides, there are many companies can do CE test in China, so you also need to check which testing lab the report is from. Famous institution such as SGS, ITS, and TUV will be the best. Some suppliers may offer reports from small Chinese testing lab to save money, but it may not be admitted by imported countries.
Toys need to do commodity inspection when exporting to other countries, the cost is $200-$300 for 1 container. If you ship by LCL, and the cost depends on the material and volume of the toy, usually more than $100.
Many factories like to print some famous animation characters in their toy products, some make the shape same as these characters. For example, two same schoolbags, one has minions printed but another doesn't, then the former one can be sold in higher price than the latter, and people still prefer to buy the former.
If the suppliers didn't get animation company's authorization, then all these toys with animation characters can be design infringed. Your products will be examined by both China custom and foreigner custom. Once they find you don't have the authorization, they will destroy them.
Even if you are lucky enough to escape the custom's inspection, you will run into the same problems as above when selling these unauthorized toys.
So if you want to import toys with famous animation characters printed, you need to make sure whether your supplier has the authorization. If not, you can change to another supplier, or you have to give up this product in case it may ruin your business.
Sea shipping is the most economical way for toys, because the weight of toys usually are light, and product size is always big. If you only plan to import less than 3 CBM toys each shipment, then you'd better buy from local market, instead of importing from China directly. Because the average cost for each toy product will be very high, including freight, and commodity inspection.
Hi We want to Import Toys from China. Do you have ideas about requirement of BIS certificate to clear materials at Indian port. Can you suggest good companies in China who have BIS certificate.
you're guaranteed to get many distinctive opinions and options at return.
This can turn out to become confusing.
Thanks for the details information. Do you have little more information how to source or secure trade assurance in general?
Same time term and condition applicable to import in the Middle East.
Very good information for toys trading.
I would like to produce a plush toy created by us.
Have you any advice on the companies to turn to?
Do you think you need to look for an experienced broker who follow the process?
Hi Luca, thanks for your comment. As you are looking for customized toy products supplier, you can search from alibaba.com for professional factories, and send them your design to let them give you the quotation. Hope can help you.
I am planning to open a high end toy store and a play arena for kids from age 3-16. I am looking to source hi tech toys like Segway, motorised cars and toys for different ages for the store and slides, virtual & 7D games/ wall climbing etc for the arena. Please let me know how can u help?
Hi Vijay, please send email with detailed information of the products that you need to [email protected], my sourcing colleague will reply you soon.
Comment…I have really enjoyed your article.Am Mulyungi,am a wooden toy designer from Nairobi,Kenya and am greatly interested to work for one of these Chineese toy factories.Are you in a position to connect me with one of these factories?Kindly email me.
We are looking for importing toy components from China (like dc geared motors (used in RC cars), different kind of rubber wheels, batteries, chargers ). Which city in China has the sourcing for toy parts/components ? I am in china these day. Please let me know if you can arrange visits/meetings with few suppliers in next 3-5 days.
Chenghai City in Guangdong Province is your best choice, you can go to this city for selecting samples, just like what we write in the article.
Hi Girsh, thanks for your inquiry. As we are doing free sourcing service, it will be better to provide more information about the product you need, like photos, price range,and quantity, that will make our sourcing job more efficiently. Product link on Alibaba or Amazon will be great too. I cannot give you the cost when I even not know the specific products that you need. We also cannot help you if you only give us the item names.
Hi Kevin, for this products, you source from Yiwu or Guangzhou are both OK. These two cities both have many suppliers.
We are a manufacturer of RC drones, UAV, helicopter, racing cars and boats with years' experience.
Hi Varun, I think there is no special certificate is needed, but sometimes customers may need EN71 or ASTM F963, they are European and American standards.
What is the chances of ordering a SAMPLE plush toy from Alibaba, agreeing that you would like all the mats etc when received. then it being sent to me nothing like I purchased, cheap and tacky?
hi isabelle i am coming to yiwu is it possible to get in contact with you.
Hi Kian, thanks for trusting us, please send email to [email protected], and my colleague will contact you for details.
Have you ever visited the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China? It is the largest import/export fair of the world, the fair is devided in 3 phases, 1 phase is dedicated to toys! You can find more information on the website, http://www.cantonfair-service.com/english/. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me!
Hi, if i have to export Rubik's Cube to Malaysia do i need to have EN71?
HI I AM PRAVEEN KUMAR FROM INDIA. I WOULD LIKE TO START NEW BUSINESS BY IMPORTING TOYS FROM CHINA FOR THIS I AM SEARCHING PERSON WHO SUGGEST OR GIVE AND SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE SO I CAN START MY BUSINESS COMFORTABLE.
Hi PRAVEEN KUMAR, I guess you have already read our blog about how to import toys from China, so what suggestion do you need us to give? Can you give any idea about this? Then I can share, thanks.
Hi i want to start business of toys,import from chaina and sell in pakistan whole sale.how to import these.
Hi Rajat, do you mean how this whole sourcing service are processing? Here is a link which explains how we work in details, hope can help you.
Hi. can you elaborate about payment terms ? how does chinese companies take payment.
Hi Rohit, the payment methods we accept are Paypal, Western Union, and Telegraphic Transfer. For less than $3,000 order, we only accept 100% payment when place order. For more than $3,000 order, we accept 30% deposit when place order, and 70% balance before shipping. We accept USD, Chinese Yuan, and Malaysia Ringgit payment.
Hi Prit, very thanks for liking our article, we will keep posting useful articles for you guys.
Hi Its Realy Nice Article. I am Rahul from India & would like to start new Toy Manaufacturing startup for this I am searching for a supplier who can provide Moulds & Electrical support for RC Toys. Do you have any information on this.
Hi Rahul, it's Isabelle from Jingsourcing.com, you can check on Alibaba.com and choose the suppliers who are from Chenghai, Guangdong Province, we do not have factories in our hand.
Your description of Chenghai city sounds very nice, these companies' service are also good, I'd like to have a visit if have chance.
Found your blog by accident. I find this article very … enlightening. You do not hype anything … Thank you for posting this.
Thank you Dennis. We try to post new articles every week, and you can subscribe our blog at the right side bar of this page. Or click here to subscribe.
Awesome post and great tips,thanks.
Hi Teemo, thanks a lot, I'll try to post new articles every week, and you can subscribe our blog at the right side bar of this page. Or click here to subscribe.
It really took time to finish reading this article, but information is really detailed and useful.
Hi Pulkite, thanks for your reading, we will keep posting good articles.


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text:
Everywhere You Can Get Free & Cheap Burgers for National Hamburger Month
It's an entire month celebrating what you may celebrate regularly anyhow. Still, there are a lot of deals you can get in on.
By Dustin Nelson
Updated on 5/14/2021 at 9:04 PM
Shutterstock/Fedorovacz
Like National Pizza Month before it, National Hamburger Month is as unnecessary as a Frasier reboot. Hamburgers, like Frasier, are fine just the way they are.
Nonetheless, National Hamburger Month has arrived, whether or not you think it's something we really need. The month of ground beef patties (as well as its plant-based brethren) carries with it a whole bunch of special offers. Throughout the month, you're going to find deals on burgers no matter what your preference is. Veggie burgers, cheeseburgers, burgers on pretzel buns, fast food burgers, monstrous bar and grill burgers... whatever it is that you're looking for, it's out there. To help you make the most of it, we've pulled together all the best burger deals, including offers from Wendy's, Halo Burger, Carl's Jr., and more.
Here are the best burger deals you'll find during National Hamburger Month.
Free Burgers for National Hamburger Month
The deal: Nab a free QP Burger after your first loyalty visit to the burger chain.
When: Ongoing
Habit Burger
The deal: Grab a free Charburger when you place a Hamburger Day order through UberEats. This one has the added bonus of running for a few days so that if you grab something else on Hamburger Day, you've still got deals to spare in the days to come.
When: May 28-30
The deal: For National Slider Day, Craver Nation members can get a free slider through the White Castle app.
When: May 15
Photo courtesy of Halo Burger
Burger Deals During National Hamburger Month
The deal: Buy a Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger and you can get a second one for just a buck through the mobile app.
When: Through May 23
The deal: Get the signature Haus Burger for $5 when you order in-store at participating locations.
Snuffer's Restaurant & Bar
The deal: The restaurant that reminds you of Big Bird's imaginary friend is offering $5 cheeseburgers every Tuesday.
When: Every Tuesday
The deal: Sign up for the Carl's Jr. promo club, and you'll get a free small order of fries and a small beverage with the purchase of a Western Bacon Cheeseburger.
The deal: But a Premium Hamburger and get another one for a buck inside the Wendy's app.
Wayback Burgers
The deal: Get a free regular order of Bacon Cheese Fries with the order of a burger or sandwich in honor of National Hamburger Month. Just order through the app to get the deal.
The deal: When you order through the mobile app, you can get $2 off an order that includes a hamburger or sandwich. Though, you do have to hit the $10 minimum.
The deal: You'll get triple points on orders made through the app in honor of National Hamburger Month.
When: May 24-27, 29-31
The deal: Grab a $3 Signature Burger in recognition of National Hamburger Day.
The deal: In recognition of the day on which the country files its taxes, Farmer Boys is offering two Double Big Cheese Burgers for $10.40 or you can grab two Breakfast Burritos for the same price.
Photo courtesy of Royal Hawaiian Center
Local Burger Deals During National Hamburger Month
Honolulu Burger Co. in the Waikiki Food Hall at Royal Hawaiian Center - Honolulu, Hawaii
The deal: More than 18 types of burgers are on the menu, all of which 100% island free-range, grass-fed, and hormone- and antibiotic-free. You can get any of them for $5 all month.
When: Mondays and Tuesdays throughout May
Red Cow - Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota
The deal: The Minneapolis-based chain's e-club offers a $10 gift to apply to your check the next time you dine in when you sign up for the first time.
Photo by Erik Mclean/Unsplash
Other Deals Available During National Hamburger Month
The deal: Grab a free medium order of fries when you place a mobile order for at least $1.
When: Every Friday through June 2021
The deal: If you got your COVID-19 vaccine, Krispy Kreme will give you a free donut every day for the rest of the year.
When: Through December 31
Crook & Marker
The deal: Buy any eight-pack of Crook & Marker and you can grab a free eight-pack of its new canned Lime Margaritas. That's available anywhere the brand is sold.
Steak 'n Shake
The deal: Everyone -- yes, that includes you -- is getting a free order of fries at Steak 'n Shake. You'll have to go through the drive-thru, but there's no minimum order. It's open to anyone, at any time.
The deal: The burrito chain's new "Kids Eat Free" program offers a free meal to kids 12 and under every Sunday. No purchase is required.
Rubio's Coastal Grill
The deal: Place an order directly through the Rubio's app or Rubios.com to get free delivery on any order of at least $20.
The deal: You buy a dozen glazed donuts, you'll get a second dozen for a dollar.
When: Saturdays and Sunday through May 23
The deal: Get an eight-piece order of Casey's new cheesy breadsticks for $3.99.
The deal: Grab a $50 gift card -- hello, graduations, Mother's Day, and Father's Day -- and you'll get a free $10 bonus card.
When: Through June 27
Talia di Napoli
The deal: Order flash-frozen pizzas to your doorstep. These Neapolitan Pizzas are shipped from Naples and are pretty damn good. Take 10% off your order with the code "TALIA10OFF."
The deal: Every weekday features a happy hour where you can snag half-price drinks and shakes.
When: Monday through Friday, 2-5 pm
The deal: If you can prove you're vaccinated against Covid-19, you can grab a free cake on a stick at White Castle. Yes, they do make those, and you can get them in Gooey Buttercake, Fudge Dipped Brownie, Fudge Dipped Cheesecake, and Birthday Cake.
Metro Diner
The deal: Spend $50 on gift cards to Metro Diner, and you'll get a $10 bonus card that can be used through June 30.
The deal: Buy a $50 gift card and you'll be set up with a $10 bonus card that, unlike the head of broccoli in the back of your fridge, does not expire.
When: April 29 - May 9
Grand Lux Cafe
The deal: Like the above deal from Cheesecake Factory, you can buy a $50 gift card and get a free $10 card in the process.
Want More Food Deals?
Here's our huuuuuuuge running list of all the free food you can get right now, as well as the best pizza deals, reward programs, birthday freebies, gift card offers, deals on food for kids, food delivery offers, and alcohol delivery deals you'll find. If you want a little more than, say a free taco, we also have you covered with a long list of meals you can get at fast food chains under $5. You're welcome.
Additionally, we've put together a list of places offering free food to healthcare workers and first responders during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin Nelson on Twitter.