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Sustainability

SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY
LOWER IMPACT HOSPITALITY

At Campus Food and Drink, we are committed to providing high-quality service and products with minimum impact on the environment.

In September 2023, we opened a new café in the Student Hub building at the Riddel Hall campus. In an effort to reduce our impact we introduced a ‘No single use cup’ policy. Working with Dublin-based ‘2GoCup’, the café operates a loan cup scheme, where customers purchase a reusable cup alongside their coffee. They can keep this cup and use it for their next purchase or return it for a refund. Within the first four months of opening we diverted over 5,545 single use cups from the waste stream!

When possible, any saveable food items are donated to the Pantry in One Elmwood. The Pantry is a free refill station run by the Student’s Union in conjunction with the University to help mitigate the impact of the cost of living crisis on students.

LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCE

At Campus Food & Drink, we’re passionate about sourcing the very best produce from local suppliers for our kitchens. As much as possible, we source produce locally and from the island of Ireland. Currently, we use:

North Down – Fresh fruit & vegetables

Bewley’s – Fairtrade tea and coffee

Carnbrooke Meats – Beef, pork, lamb & poultry

Elmore seafood – Fresh fish & seafood

Hugh Jordan – Crockery, cutlery & glassware

2GoCup – Reusable coffee cup

United Wines – Fine wines, beers & spirits

Yellow Door – Breads and patisserie

Neary Nogs – Handmade, stone ground chocolate

Bunzl McLaughlin – ECOLAB chemicals

Alliance – Compostable disposables

WE ARE A FAIRTRADE UNIVERSITY

Campus Food & Drink are committed to promoting and providing as many Fairtrade products as possible in our hospitality offering.

Working with various key stakeholders across the University, we are proud to say we are a Fairtrade-certified University. The Fairtrade committee meets on a regular basis.

As part of that commitment, we also raise, organise and run events and fundraisers to raise awareness of Fairtrade with colleagues and staff. Recent events have included the Fairtrade Coffee Morning at Riddel Hall and a Pancake Demonstration with the Great Hall chefs using Fairtrade products.

Find out more about Fairtrade at Queen's.

Eating Seasonably

Food harvested and consumed at its peak is fresher and packs a bigger nutrient-rich punch than produce - which must be transported across the globe before it makes its way to your plate.

Purchasing locally grown food and produce helps directly support local farmers and your local community. Money spent locally often stays locally, reinvested in the local economy and supply chains, bolstering the local economy. Eating seasonally is often better value for the consumer with fewer requirements for packaging and transportation from far-flung destinations.

By reducing the distance your food must travel before it makes its way to your kitchen, you are playing a part in reducing its food miles and the level of carbon emissions it puts out into the atmosphere.

Eating Seasonably

No excuse for single use!

Use the map below to find where you can refill your bottle on campus and help us reduce the number of plastic bottles being used.

Water fountains or coolers are found in the following locations:

Here are a few other things Campus Food & Drink currently do to increase our sustainable approach to hospitality:

  • A full range of vegetarian & vegan options are available to order for all events and meetings, as well as banqueting options.
  • All our menus are printed on recycled paper and placed on reusable cards.
  • All main site and Riddel Hall events are served using reusable crockery and cutlery unless requested otherwise.
  • As much as possible, we use seasonal produce and source our ingredients from local suppliers.
  • Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar are used at all meetings and events.
  • Water filters are installed in the Great Hall and Riddel Hall, providing freshly filtered still and sparkling water.
  • This allows us to use reusable water bottles to provide water for meetings and events.
  • The majority of our disposable items are all compostable and are collected for composting along with our food waste. This includes our branded paper cups, plates, napkins, disposable cutlery, and water tumblers.
  • For large conferences, we have replaced disposable/recyclable cups with a reusable crockery or 2GoCup alternative.
  • Any food waste generated is collected and sent for industrial composting locally, facilitated by River Ridge.
  • We have a sustainable food policy and a waste reduction policy, both of which are reviewed on a regular basis.
  • We reduce and recycle as much waste as possible following University guidelines.
  • We are working with the Estates department to move away from reliance on gas in our kitchens. When possible, any new equipment purchased is powered by electricity from a renewable source.
  • Water-saving devices have been installed throughout our facilities to reduce our water consumption.
  • We use ECOLABs chemicals to reduce water usage, waste generation and energy requirements associated with hygiene and cleaning.

The first Reusable Cup Washer in Northern Ireland at Junction

As part of their commitment to reducing the use of single-use coffee/tea cups, Junction Cafe has installed the first Reusable Cup Washer in Northern Ireland. Customers can now clean their own reusable cups effortlessly and hygienically before each use at the café.

Junction is also promoting the use of reusable cups by offering a discount when customers bring their own reusable cup.

Plastic Reduction Project Group
Campus Food & Drink's commitment to reduce plastic waste

In partnership with the Estates Environmental Team, Campus Food & Drink have established a Plastic Reduction Project Group in the University.

The Group is made up of a diverse range of staff from across the University with student representation. The Group has been supported by the Plastic Reduction Officer from Tidy Northern Ireland which has helped to identify the practical steps the Group can encourage colleagues and students can take to drive change in the University.

The message from Tidy Northern Ireland is that small steps can encourage a change in behaviours and the aim of everyone should be to avoid the misuse of pointless plastic.

 

The Terms of Reference set out the goals the group hope to achieve

  • To review current practices and uses of single-use plastics across the University and make recommendations on any necessary changes
  • To develop a plan to manage the reduction of single-use plastics in the University
  • To promote and encourage the use of reusable, compostable and recyclable products instead of disposable when appropriate’
  • To promote and encourage initiatives across the University, to our staff, students and third party providers, to reduce single-use plastics
  • To approve a programme of awareness-raising for staff, students and third party providers
  • To provide information and advice to staff and students on the reduction of single-use plastics
  • To review progress and provide reports to the appropriate University Committees including The Carbon Management Group
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Clements and Hope Cafe
Northern Ireland’s largest chains of local, independently-owned Coffee Shops

Clements (and Hope Cafe) are one of Northern Ireland’s largest chains of local, independently-owned Coffee Shops and they're committed to providing sustainable products without compromising on quality.

Clements source all products and ingredients from local suppliers and businesses and ensure that all their waste is processed sustainably.

Here is a list of the businesses Clements work in partnership with to help them deliver their green achievements

Suppliers

Suki Tea, Belfast. A brand that supplies Fairtrade produce and ethical sourcing practices. All of their products’ packaging is plastic-free, and none of their teabags contains traces of plastic.

Farmview Dairies, Belfast. Milk and dairy products are all sourced from a local supplier.

Just Desserts, Portadown. Bakery products are supplied fresh from a local supplier.

Bailies Roastery, Belfast. Coffee is supplied and roasted by a local supplier.

Lynas, Belfast. Majority of all Clements’ ingredients and cleaning products are supplied by Lynas.

Northdown, Belfast Additional fresh produce is supplied directly by Northdown (alongside Lynas).

 

Waste 

Re-useable Cups

Clements sell re-usable Keep Cups; with each first purchase, Clements offers a free coffee in their new Keep Cup.

Clements reward customers with 25 points onto their loyalty app if they purchase a hot drink by using either a Keep Cup or their own reusable cup.

 

Compostable Waste

As of December 2019, two out of four takeaway disposable cup sizes are now fully compostable. They soon intend to introduce two other compostable sizes to replace their current ones.

Clements intend to replace their current disposable cup plastic lids to a fully compostable range in the near future.

All straws supplied in Clements’ cafes are biodegradable.

Clements is in the process of sourcing and supplying disposable cutlery that can either be recycled or biodegradable.

Most of Clements MBC’s disposable food containers are fully-compostable.

Recycling

All waste is recycled in partnership with ISL, therefore, no waste from any of Clements’ sites are sent to landfill.

All food waste and spent coffee is collected and through Frylite and is processed through an Anaerobic Digestion programme where it is converted into electricity, bio-fertiliser or is converted for use in commercial heating.

 

Menus

Clements provides a selection of meat and non-meat products, including vegan options, made freshly in Clements’ Production kitchen, and in Hope and MBC’s kitchens.

 

Loyalty System

Clements have recently gone digital with their loyalty scheme which replaced their colour-printed loyalty cards. Customers can now download their app to use when purchasing at any of their sites.

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We are proud of how far we come on our sustainability journey but are always open to discussing new ideas and concepts; please get in touch if you would like to discuss an idea with the team.