Linking sustainability to healthy eating

We are excited to be focusing on sustainability for 2019 Healthy Week, aiming to prioritise your personal health, as well as the health of the planet.

As part of our sustainability strategy, we are aiming to encourage customers to eat more plant-based and plant-focussed meals. With the help from Student Sustainability Architect, Kathryn Warner, this Healthy Week 2019 we hope to inspire our customers to eat more fruit and veg, and enjoy meals where vegetables are the main component, rather than an afterthought. This is important for getting our 5 a day and looking after the planet.

 

Why is it important to reduce meat consumption?

  • Climate Change: the FAO estimates that livestock production is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Water use: considerably more water is used to produce a meat-based meal than a plant-based one. For example, it takes 15,500 litres of water to produce 1kg of beef, compared to 250 litres for 1kg potatoes.
  • Land use: more agricultural land is used to raise cattle than all other crops and domesticated animals combined.

 

For Healthy Week 2019 we are offering:

  • Free fruit with every vegan meal purchased in The Refectory
  • Vegan meals only served on the Green & Go counter
  • Street Food Hut outside the Refectory serving fresh vegan meals
  • Free porridge to those who cycle to work with the presentation of a cycling helmet

 

Visit the Refectory and our Street Food Hut outside the Students’ Union between the 17th-21st June to get yourself a delicious plant-based meal!

Reduce – Reuse

The Refectory now serves all of its counter food in compostable or recyclable packaging. This year we have already saved over 40,000 single-use plastic salad bowls from landfill. If you choose to, you can now bring your own containers to The Refectory, and ask our staff to serve your meal in containers you already own.

#plasticfree2020

Find out more about Healthy Week and become a Healthy Week Hero!

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