Sustainable Food

Everything we do has an impact on the planet and society, even the food we purchase, cook, and consume can have a significant effect. By considering how much food we consume, purchase and waste, we can also reduce our carbon footprint. 

There are many ways you can make more sustainable choices regarding food on and off campus through student-led sustainability projects, recycling in your halls accommodation or off-campus housing and purchasing food. This page provides information about sustainable food services and shares tips and advice on how to consume and purchase food to promote a circular economy. 

  • Meat, dairy, and leather production are all major carbon emitters in the livestock industry.
  • Growing animal feed, as well as transporting and packaging meat, require a significant quantity of fossil fuels in conventional farming.
  • You may dramatically reduce your carbon footprint by just limiting your meat and dairy consumption.
  • Start with a meat-free day once a week; there are plenty of delicious meat-free recipes available online.

Food waste is a severe environmental and social issue that can be solved quickly. We waste everything that went into producing, distributing, selling, and preparing that food when we throw it away. We can make simple modifications that will save us time and money while also preventing edible food from going to waste.

We waste good food all the time because we buy too much, cook too much, or don't store it properly.

Keep leftovers, vegetables, and extra bread in the freezer.

  • Food stored in the fridge will stay fresher for longer; set it to 3-4 degrees Celsius to ensure it functions properly.
  • For storing items in the fridge, freezer, or cabinet, airtight containers with tight-fitting lids are ideal.

If you are unable to use your leftovers, try composting them.

There are so many positives from eating seasonally from saving money because fruits and vegetables are out of season in your region, they must be grown under controlled conditions or imported from another continent. Both processes are expensive, and the costs are passed on to you, the customer.

Local produce may be cultivated in natural settings and readily delivered to the point of sale when you consume seasonally, making it much more affordable. But it also lowers your carbon footprint as be it by plane, train or automobile – when food has to come a long way to get to you, it comes with a carbon footprint.

Best bit yet it often tastes better and supports better nutrition.

Purchase in bulk to save money and reduce packaging, but only if you intend to utilise it. Do you really need that 2-for-1 supermarket deal if you're just going to throw it away later? Cutting down on the quantity of waste you send to the landfill can make a significant difference in lowering your environmental impact.

Before you throw something out, consider what you can do to reuse, repurpose, or recycle it – even compost it! Landfill should be seen as a last resort!

Use a shopping list to reduce impulse buys.

The “Look, Smell, Taste, Don't Waste” campaign, spearheaded by food waste reduction app Too Good To Go, aims to minimise the mountain of food waste made every year by UK customers who are afraid of eating or drinking products after consumption standards have gone. 

On the January 26 launch of the new campaign, Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, said, “Date labelling has long caused confusion and unnecessary food waste in the UK. If we are to make significant strides to reducing food waste, we need to take action now. This is why we’re launching our national, industry-wide ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign.”

The campaign urges brands to switch their products from “Use By” to “Best Before” labels where appropriate and then include a reminder on the packaging for consumers to use their senses to decide whether to eat food past its “Best Before”.