Sustainability Objectives 2023
Hospitality Services are pleased to be part of Aberystwyth University’s ongoing commitment to sustainability in all of it operations. We present this Sustainability Action Plan as a working document. As with all such plans, they are only possible through the engagement of our staff, customers and suppliers.
We welcome all inputs to this plan as we strive towards greater sustainable practices and carbon neutrality.
Palm Oil
Overall objective: We seek to ultimately remove all products that contain non-sustainable palm oil from Hospitality Services. We seek to do this by supplier engagement as well as providing customers with the information as to which products contain palm oil. We advocate that sustainable accredited palm oil (RSPO) is produced in a way that is sustainable by helping to halt deforestation; assists in communities and workers being paid fairly; as well as protecting wildlife and environment.
Actions for achievement:
|
Action |
Areas to be put in place |
Objective of actions |
Target date for launch |
|
Marking of products that contain palm oil with the following label system: Green (none); Yellow (palm oil but RSPO); Red (non-accredited) |
All outlets |
We seek to give customers the pertinent information so that they can make decisions to buy that product or not. |
Student Union Shop already using this system. All other outlets - April 2023 |
|
Allocation of resources to establish palm oil contents of products purchased via purchasing platform and discussion with suppliers |
Penbryn admin team |
To ensure information is collected and verified on products. Engage with suppliers to inform of products that are non-compliant and therefore likely to be delisted. |
May 2023 |
|
Review of all products containing non-RSPO palm oil, with alternatives if possible. |
Penbryn admin team |
To create information regarding products to be replaced with alternatives |
August 2023 |
|
Review of Palm Oil policy |
All outlets |
To ensure policy is working and needs further review |
September 2023 |
Reduce food waste
Overall Objective: All food that is purchased and then not consumed is to be avoided to reduce carbon footprint and to increase sustainable practices by customers and staff. This will be by reduction in plate waste (food that is purchased, but not eaten in our outlets), reduction in the amount of food going out of date, as well as reduction in food production waste. All waste that is produced is to then be placed into food recycling bins at all outlets.
Actions for achievement.
|
Action |
Areas to be put in place |
Objective of actions |
Target date for launch |
|
Introduce discounted for all food near sell by date by ‘when it gone its gone’ stickers |
All outlets |
To sell food with a short date life left at or below cost price to ensure it is consumed rather than thrown away |
Ongoing, possible relaunch for public information |
|
Control of portion size with add on for veg and salad |
Food hall, Blas Gogerddan |
To encourage customers consume the food they buy, by assisting them in making a conscious decision to purchase rather than have simply because it is included in the price |
Sept 2022 |
|
Menu design to allow for short term special offers for produced food from kitchen, such as a £4.00 main course |
Food hall, Blas Gogerddan |
To allow us to sell food that has been over produced quickly at cost to students. |
Ongoing |
|
Measurement of food waste produced by amount in food bins by a weekly check before collection. (note food waste going into compost bins not included- SU) |
Food Hall, Pantycelyn |
To monitor our food waste and so help to monitor the success of the above practices |
March 2023 |
|
Control of the amount of hot food produced for service on the hot counters towards the end of service times from 15 minutes before the counter will close. So not to replace dishes that have sold out |
Food hall, Blas Gogerddan , Pantycelyn |
To reduce the amount of food that has been cooked and cannot be reused and so has to be thrown away. |
January 2023 and ongoing |
Reduce disposable items used on campus
Overall Objective: - In our ‘Grab n Go’ culture there is always a requirement for some disposable products to be used. However we will firstly seek to ensure all disposables used are either recyclable or bio degradable. Then we will seek to reduce the amount of disposables used, and to encourage practices that reinforce this. We will also seek to ensure more material is recycled where possible.
Actions for Achievement.
|
Action |
Areas to be put in place |
Objective of actions |
Target date for launch |
|
Introduce dispo cup levy of 25p coinciding with promotion to give all students and staff the opportunity to get a free keep cup during October. |
All Outlets |
To reduce disposable cup usage across campus, the hardest item to be recycled. |
October 2023 |
|
Increase the number of water fountains on campus by installing bottle refilling station in the Students Union. |
Students Union Building |
To help stop the sale of plastic water bottles |
Sept 2023 |
|
To source cost effective reusable water bottle to allow for the prohibition of all plastic water on Campus |
TBC |
If we can find a reusable bottle cheaper than the cost of a single use water bottle |
Ongoing- aspirational |
|
All in house food and drink served on reusable china and glass |
Food Hall, Pantycleyn, IBERbach, Su Bar |
To ensure disposable is used for takeaway only. |
June 2023 |
|
Increase the amount of recycling bins and signage for all outlets |
All Outlets |
To increase the amount recycled by our customers |
June 2023
|
|
Remove all single sauce sachets and condiments and replace with sauce bottles |
All outlets |
Take away the single use packets with signage to explain |
September 2023 |
|
Relaunch Plastic Free Day |
All Outlets |
To increase the dialogue and discussion in the reduction of single use plastics. |
April 2023 |
|
Monitoring of landfill and recycled waste streams and record |
All outlets |
To enable us to monitor the decrease in use of landfill refuse |
September 2023 |
|
Make plastic packaging be a negative score on supplier tenders for Hospitality |
Central purchasing |
To encourage recyclable materials for goods packaging and delivery. |
Ongoing |
|
To replace all disposable cups used in conference delivery by purchase of reusable alternative and put structure in place for the distribution and collection of |
Conference team |
To stop all disposable cup usage in conference delivery. |
September 2023
|
|
Only serve refillable water bottles in Medrus Suite |
Conference team |
To reduce plastic usage unnecessarily |
August |
Journey towards Nett Zero Carbon
Overall Objective: - Aberystwyth has committed to achieving a nett zero target by the year 2030-31. Hospitality services will undertake to monitor and review its practices to reduce our emissions within scope 1, 2 and 3 of our operations.
Scope 1 is direct emissions sources resulting from company owned machinery, facilities, and vehicles. Scope 2 is indirect emissions sources associated with the generation of electricity, heat, steam and/or cooling, Scope 3 is indirect emissions resulting from all other activities and sources not covered in Scope 2; includes business travel, commuting, waste, and third party deliveries.
Actions for Achievement.
|
Action |
Areas to be put in place |
Objective of actions |
Target date for launch |
|
Seek to identify source carbon for menu items through purchasing portal |
Central purchasing |
To be able to look for substitute items for lower carbon footprint. |
December 2023 |
|
Build carbon footprint of each menu through procure wizard software and record |
Central purchasing |
To be able to analyse and action menu alterations to reduce carbon in scope 1 and 3 |
December 2023 |
|
We would like to action carbon signage on menus to help steer public behaviour |
All outlets |
To enable our customers to make informed purchasing decisions. |
Aspirational |
|
To require all suppliers to be committed to carbon zero through their operations via the tender process |
Central purchasing |
To help reduce the carbon from scope 3 |
Ongoing |
|
Reduce energy usage in fridges by Bluetooth plug sockets to enable being switched off at night for non-food critical fridges |
All outlets |
To reduce unnecessary carbon and electricity usage. |
August 2023 |
|
Check fridge seals to reduce energy usage and efficiency |
All outlets |
To reduce energy usage |
August 2023 and annual |
|
Only use electrical vehicles within the department |
Hospitality services |
2 new electric vans purchased |
Ongoing |
|
Remove all Gas equipment at the end of its life |
All outlets |
To reduce carbon produced in food production |
Ongoing |
|
Review of kitchen equipment and usage via energy performance monitoring. leading review of production methods and equipment lifecycle subject to power limitations in supply |
All outlets |
To reduce energy usage |
November |
|
Enable the reading of the power usage for all outlets individually |
All outlets |
To enable staff to monitor and see energy usage and effect savings |
November |
Ethical practises and purchasing
Overall Objective: - Hospitality Services measures its performance using the triple bottom line method of people, profit and planet. We seek to ensure that we follow the ethic purchasing guidelines by looking to ensure we follow the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
We hope that by asking for ethical and sustainable behaviour from our suppliers we can encourage and celebrate behaviour which is to the benefit of us all.
Actions for Achievement.
|
Action |
Areas to be put in place |
Objective of actions |
Target date for launch |
|
Require all suppliers to have signed up to pay the living wage |
Central Purchasing |
Promote fair pay for all employees and sub-contractors |
Ongoing |
|
Ensure all companies that supply Hospitality Services have signed up to comply with the 17 UN sustainable Goals |
Central Purchasing |
To promote good practice in our suppliers |
Ongoing |
|
To set purchasing policy of buying local, Welsh then British where possible within the University financial procedures |
Central Purchasing |
To enable us to buy as local produce as possible |
Ongoing |
|
Ask our major suppliers to supply annual measurement criteria for their sustainable practices to ensure continued improvement |
Central Purchasing |
To promote continued improvement by our suppliers for their sustainable and Nett Zero advancement |
Annual review August for all suppiers |
|
Ensure all suppliers have signed up to be compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 as a prerequisite for dealing with Hospitality Services |
Central Purchasing |
Via annual questionnaire to all suppliers to ensure compliance |
Ongoing |
|
Work towards the adoption of ‘Menus for Change ‘ in all of our food purchase, production and service |
All outlets |
To be used as a guide for our food production for all of our areas to assist in our improved sustainability |
Start of the process by June 23 |
https://www.tuco.ac.uk/procurement/sustainability/menus-of-change