SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Innovative work to cut food waste at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ shortlisted for further awards

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Innovative work to cut food waste at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ has been shortlisted for a third set of national awards.

The University is shortlisted in two categories in the Waste2Zero awards, which recognise excellence in Waste Management and Prevention in the catering sector.

The latest news follows shortlistings for the University’s catering team in the UK and Ireland Green Gown awards – which are set to be announced at the start of November – and at the TUCO awards, where the team picked up the Sustainability award in July.

At the Waste2Zero awards, Harper Adams is in the final seven for the Best Food Waste Prevention Project Award and in the final two for the Food Redistribution Award.

SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Head of Catering and Retail  David Nuttall  said: “It’s wonderful to receive yet more recognition for the efforts made by everyone in the catering team and across the wider university to make sure we deliver an efficient, sustainable service in all of our catering outlets.

“Sustainable food production is at the heart of studies at Harper Adams, so it is even more important that we practice what we teach.”

SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s catering team strives to ensure the thousands of meals produced on-site at Harper Adams are sustainable. This commitment includes using as much of the on-site Future Farm’s produce as possible, with pork, beef, honey, strawberries, milk and much more sourced from the farm.

This dedication to food metres, rather than miles, is part of deliberate drive to demonstrate the importance of sustainable food and farming not only in the lecture theatre – but also in the canteens, cafes and catering outlets across the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ campus.

The catering team are also part of a University-wide drive to cut food waste, both through awareness-raising activities across their catering outlets and through assisting with innovations such as the development of an on-site Community Fridge.

The fridge was introduced as a trial in January 2024 and has since become a cross-community effort. It is maintained by a team of volunteers who collect surplus food which would otherwise go to waste from donor stores.

This surplus food – particularly items which would otherwise be most at risk of being wasted – is then distributed to Harper Adams staff and students, with live-streaming allowing people to see what is available at any particular point.

Dr Iona Huang, Reader in the Harper Adams Business School, said: “The Community Fridge not only raises awareness of food surplus and waste issues in the food supply chain - but also provides valuable support to students and staff who may need a little extra help.

“This collective effort truly reflects our commitment to making sustainability inclusive and practical."

The winners of the Waste2Zero awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 20.