Catering sustainability (LSHTM) | bloomsburygreenthing

Catering sustainability

LSHTM Catering and Hospitality teams are working to achieve the Soil Association's Green Kitchen and Food for Life standards!

These challenging commitments cover criteria which will dramatically increase the range of freshly prepared, environmentally sustainable, and locally sourced food on offer at the refectory, as well as greatly improve the energy, water, and waste efficiencies of the catering operations.

Some of the requirements of achieving the standards include;

At least 75% of the dishes served will be freshly prepared on site
Menus will be seasonal and in-season produce highlighted
Increased transparency of where ingredients have come from
The development a food waste minimisation plan
Measuring energy, water, and waste from catering areas, and developing plans to improve efficiency
Professional development training for catering and hospitality staff and appointment of dedicated Sustainability Champions

And many more commitments.

LSHTM is committed to addressing the comments raised in the survey and have high ambitions to achieving both Green Kitchen and Food for Life standards, ultimately enhancing the service for customers.

Sustainability is a key element being embedded into the Catering and Hospitality services, and we're already making progress. Some initiatives currently in place include;

all plates and crockery being reusable;
disposable cutlery and takeaway food boxes are compostable;
tap water is freely available;
leftover food is reduced in cost after busy serving periods and anything left is given to the Students Union bar;
disposable coffee cups are levied and reusable alternatives encouraged;
all waste cooking oil is collected and converted to bio-fuel.

These are exciting times and we'd love for you to be involved in the journey as we work towards the two accreditations. We will be giving regular updates through the Staff and Student Bulletins, as well as through this page and Greenthing social media feeds, so you can follow our progress and let us know your thoughts.

SOAS branded reusable coffee cups are now available from the main Refectory! Take yours with you to any SOAS cafe or eatery and avoid the disposable coffee cup levy.

Good for the planet, good for your wallet.

GET YOURS TODAY!

All SOAS catering outlets offer free water re-fills, and everyone has access to the dedicated water fountains across SOAS buildings.

There are numerous fountains across Old Building on each floor, as well as the Students Union.

We are already taking steps to reduce food waste created from our operations. Leftover food is reduced in cost after busy serving periods and anything left is given to the students union bar.

Any food waste from the kitchen is weighed and collected in a separate waste stream, where it is sent for anaerobic digestion by our waste contractor.

SOAS is partnered with Olleco, who collects our waste cooking oil and processes it into high grade bio fuel which can be used as a renewable energy source.

This reduces the environmental impact of our waste stream and provides an alternative to fossil fuels.

At SOAS, our Catering Team are committed to sustainability and social responsibility, constantly reviewing the ingredients and practises to reflect these values.