Bringing people together for networking and knowledge exchange is an important part of our work at ClimateXChange. A catered event is useful to provide our attendees with the fuel they need for the day and to create a sociable space in the agenda for informal connections and discussions.
However, some of our catered events were generating a lot of waste from uneaten food and non-recyclable single-use items like paper cups. We decided to investigate how to cut down on this waste.
Setting up a working group
Our first step was having informal conversations with staff members from other organisations in our building, the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) at the University of Edinburgh. Many of them had similar experiences with waste at events and shared our commitment to sustainability.
We formed a small working group to explore practical strategies for delivering more sustainable events building-wide. Together, we implemented several important changes.
Taking action in our building
Reducing food waste was a high priority for us. We all agreed on the importance of not over-ordering for events, but also on the risks of cutting back too far and not having enough food for attendees.
We developed building guidance for sustainable events, which includes suggestions on how to deal with any leftover catering. Now when there is leftover food from events, people from other organisations based in the building are invited to help themselves. We also purchased reusable tubs to give people the option to take food home or store it in the fridge for another day.
Reducing our reliance on single-use items was another one of our main objectives. As well as encouraging event attendees to bring their own reusable water bottles and cups, we purchased reusable items like jugs and plates that are now available for everyone to use.
We also wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of the unavoidable food scraps from people’s plates. The University’s waste management service agreed we could introduce a dedicated food waste bin for events in the building. This ensures leftover food is collected separately and taken to anaerobic digestion plants to be transformed into renewable energy.
Most of the changes we implemented in our building rely on event organisers and building users appreciating the value in taking on extra tasks like emptying food waste bins and placing reusable items in the dishwasher. Making changes like these isn’t just about reducing waste, it’s also about creating an organisational culture that encourages staff to have greater awareness and take more personal responsibility.
Action beyond our building
The working group also reached out to our catering suppliers to discuss possible improvements to the services they offer, such as reducing or replacing single-use plates and cups. We were delighted to find that our suppliers were already working to make their services greener and have been open to making improvements like providing reusable mugs and stainless-steel cutlery.
Since we started making changes last year, we have connected with other groups and individuals around the University who are also progressing towards more sustainable events. It’s been encouraging to see so many people motivated to make changes.
Our working group was recently highly commended at the University of Edinburgh Changemaker Awards. These annual awards celebrate students and staff who contribute to sustainability and social responsibility. We were thrilled to be recognised among so many impactful projects.
The system isn’t perfect but we have reduced the number of black bin bags we fill after our events, which is progress. We are continuously learning and looking to improve our operations, collaborating with motivated colleagues from around the University and beyond. We hope our actions can inspire others to take similar small steps towards reducing their environmental impact in whatever ways they can.
The ECCI Sustainable Catering Working Group are Christy Brewster, Lee Callaghan, Annabel Cooper, Kristin Hopfe, Rodaidh McLaughlin and Alison Wood.
Related links
University of Edinburgh Changemaker Awards
Edinburgh Climate Change Institute
Climate Springboard – a free business support programme based at ECCI, open to any SME in Scotland, which helps companies find opportunities for low-cost but meaningful action to reduce their carbon emissions.