The University has excellent recycling rates; however, when waste is taken off site, it is not treated as well as we would like. Currently technology isn't ready for our vision of Zero Tolerance on Plastic, but we are working towards becoming plastic-free as technology advances.

What we've done so far:

• In 2014, we changed our branded disposable cups to be fully compostable (with the plastic lids being recyclable); whilst regionally we don't currently have the facility to recycle these, when the cups are incinerated, energy is produced
• We are looking at dedicated cup recycling bins, to make composting easier
• We give a 30p discount off the price of hot drinks if you use a suitably sized, re-usable cup
• We can sell you a re-usable hot drinks cup if you need one - just ask!
• We have replaced plastic cutlery with wooden alternatives in our units
• We are trialling compostable, non-plastic trays in our Event Catering service; these should be placed in the general waste bin. If you do receive a delivery using plastic trays, the clear lid can go in a plastic recycling bin, and the black bases should go in the general waste bin
• We have removed plastic straws from our offer; only a very small number is available on request for customers with medical needs, although we encourage the use of reusable ones.
• Jugs of tap water or water fountains are freely available in our units where we have appropriate and sufficient space to do so. If the unit does not have jugs of tap water or a water fountain, the staff are able to direct customers to the nearest University location that does
• Re-usable water bottles are for sale in most units; please ask us where you can refill yours! 
• We are working with colleagues to install more free water dispensers around campus
• We provide enhanced information on recycling to customers, in conjunction with the Sustainability Team, to encourage positive recycling behaviours
• We are actively working towards reducing single-use plastics in our units by replacing products to alternatives in eco-friendly packaging, e.g. replacing water bottles with canned water.

Please contact us, if you have any ideas or want to get involved in helping us achieve our vision at catering@newcastle.ac.uk. 

Did you know that over a third of all food produced globally goes to waste? We believe that when people are going hungry in the UK and having to use foodbanks, it’s morally unacceptable to produce avoidable food waste and we are working on it.

What we've done so far:

• Looking at portion sizes - we now actively advise event organisers to consider what they are providing and to not over purchase (also helping pockets!), and have also reduced portion sizes to more suitable ones across our hot meals
• Introducing more vegetarian/vegan options to reduce environmental impact, including Meat-Free Mondays at Castle Leazes
• Through the use of food trays in Event Catering, we encourage the sharing of food leftovers with colleagues and students after events (as long as it's still considered safe to eat)
• In units which are not open at a weekend and food is nearing the end of its shelf life, we move food to units which are open
• We also encourage the sale of items, otherwise marked for the bin by reducing prices (keep an eye on our social media channels for alerts!)
• We manage waste effectively by following catering industry waste management standards and we have invested in a new electronic stock management system which will help to reduce food waste even further
• Food waste from our production kitchens has been collected and processed via an anaerobic digester since 2014
• We are working to reduce single-use plastics and general waste in our cafés, starting with Courtyard. In practice, this means replacing some products to alternatives in eco-friendly packaging (e.g. cans of water instead of bottles). We have also made recycling bins for Walkers crisp packets available.

So what's coming next?

We're currently working on bringing in an online food ordering system for events, which will incorporate images of portion sizes to further help event organisers to purchase responsibly.
We are also continuing to work with our Student's Union on Student Affordability Agenda, and we want to do more. If you want to be part of a Food Waste Revolution, check out OLIO - a food-sharing app aiming to maximise the use of food which would otherwise be thrown away, e.g. by sharing meals or leftover ingredients (as well as household items) with others. If you’re interested in helping set this up, we’d like to hear from you - contact us at catering@newcastle.ac.uk if you have any ideas or want to get involved.