°×С½ãÂÛ̳ is happy to support individuals and groups interested in sustainable food initiatives, whether it is a Living Labs research project or a new idea or product.
°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Food 4 Good
In January 2023 a cross-sectional group came together to tackle food poverty at °×С½ãÂÛ̳. Made up of members of Gather & Gather, the Student's Union, °×С½ãÂÛ̳ #ZeroFoodWaste and professional services, it is a working group looking at food waste and food poverty within °×С½ãÂÛ̳'s communities and neighbouring communities. Their purpose is to take practical action and make tangible progress in this area over the 2023-24 academic year.
°×С½ãÂÛ̳ #ZeroFoodWaste
Zero Food Waste is a student-led project at °×С½ãÂÛ̳ that aims to tackle food waste on campus. They redistribute food from where it is in excess to where it is in need: from °×С½ãÂÛ̳ cafés to homeless shelters and a surplus food bank. These are namely Lifeafterhummus Community Benefit Society, a surplus food bank for community residents in the Euston/King’s Cross area, and St Mungo's Endsleigh Gardens, a homeless shelter.
Rice Inc / Paddi
In 2019, °×С½ãÂÛ̳Ìýbegan buying rice from Rice Inc, now calledÌýPaddi.
Rice Inc was founded by °×С½ãÂÛ̳ students. Their concept strives to eliminate food waste, promote sustainability and bring food security, by helping farmers nearly double their income from recovering rice which would otherwise be lost.
°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Innovation and Enterprise supported their idea, which went on and won the 2018 Hult Prize challenge, including $1million in funding.Ìý
Our catersÌýCH&Co have pledged to continue to buy and use their rice in °×С½ãÂÛ̳ meals.
> Visit
&²µ³Ù;Ìý°×С½ãÂÛ̳ alumni tackle food poverty with ‘world’s first sustainable rice brand’
Milids
MilidsÌýwas set up by a °×С½ãÂÛ̳ student who wanted to produce coffee cup lids made from grains, thus reducing plastic waste.
°×С½ãÂÛ̳ caters,ÌýCH&Co have provided support and advice on a catering provision.
> VisitÌýÌýon Linkedin
°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Food4Thought
Two studentÌýmembers of °×С½ãÂÛ̳’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society,ÌýAashish Khimasia and Elena Bashkova, foundedÌý°×С½ãÂÛ̳Food4Thought, to deliver theÌýF4T campaignÌýon °×С½ãÂÛ̳ campus.Ìý
They calculated and analysed the carbon footprint of °×С½ãÂÛ̳’s catering food purchasing. This baseline and the students' support will be utilised to create carbon footprinting of meals in the refectory, in partnership withÌýFoodsteps.
> visitÌýt
Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
In 2019, then °×С½ãÂÛ̳ caterers, Sodexo partnered with the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (CEGE), as four students conducted a living lab project on single-use plastic in the catering industry, using the refectory as a test bed.
The project focused on the elimination of plastic cling film.
Sodexo achieved a 28% reduction in cling film use, by adopting the measures suggested by the students:
- Replace open boxes with click-close boxes
- Use cloth covers for tray and food trolleys instead of wrapping film
- Increase the training and awareness