Words: Severine Bernard (she/her)
Within a week of arriving at our first year halls of residence a friend of mine discerned one of the fundamental truths of university: ‘everyone here is either vegetarian, queer, or, ideally, both’. A statement that would haunt us during our subsequent four years of study. Yet, despite the arguably trendy vegetarianism, universal obsession with yellow supermarket stickers, and the meteoric rise of Too Good To Go, reports by Zero Waste Scotland reveal that students are among the biggest food wasters nationwide. This might seem counterintuitive for a generation of Glasgow students who have grown up alongside Extinction Rebellion, protested at COP26, and pioneered the Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels movement. But the results are in: we toss more food than any other age group.
Research shows we lack interest and education in correct food disposal and composting procedures, as well as the knowledge of how to make our produce go further. This, in turn, contributes to the 7 million tonnes of food destined for landfill each year, 250,000 of which has been deemed as ‘perfectly edible’. Are these statistics exposing student activism as purely performative? Or does the fault lie with universities that fail to educate their students at the opportune moment when many are moving from home for the first time?
Reducing student food waste should start within halls of residence. For first years, there appears to be a distinct lack of university-led initiatives informing students on how to correctly store groceries. Think of your flatmate who left raw meat uncovered, metal cans open in the fridge, and fresh milk on the side, only to be surprised when their produce began to form its own microhabitat. Now, this isn’t necessarily the fault of freshers, the majority of whom are living independently for the first time. However, the Food Standards Agency has stated that the habits acquired during the transition to university are liable to become ‘lasting changes in relation to a range of food behaviours’. Essentially, we’re fighting a battle against our prefrontal cortex to implement sustainable routines into our lives before time’s up.
So, how can students and the University collaborate to ensure that students create lasting habits to reduce food waste? First up, by pushing for more awareness of correct food disposal procedures in self-catered student accommodations. From an institutional perspective, a social media post or poster would be the cheaper method of advocating for sustainability. Though I’m not sure that’s the answer, it would provide students with easily accessible knowledge that could have a positive effect on overconsumption, however marginal.
More crucially, the University needs to increase its investment in sustainability societies. Although Glasgow University was (surprisingly) ranked 20th in the world for sustainability in 2024 by the QS Universities ranking, its numerous student-led sustainability groups are sidelined by fossil fuel companies and banks who are regularly given stalls at careers fairs. These groups include GUEST, a team of student interns that run the eco-hub and have set up various initiatives on campus. One of which, the community fridge, enables students to pick up expiring goods (think sandwiches and ready meals) that they can take as a late night library dinner or freeze for another day. GUEST are also responsible for the University’s allotment, where students can help out in exchange for the fruits of their labours once summer comes around. Not to be forgotten is Glasgow Uni Food Co-op: a volunteer-led initiative that collaborates with Locavore to provide students with a bi-weekly box of locally sourced, seasonal, and unpackaged fruit and veg for £5. Just make sure you order in advance, bring your own (preferably reusable) bag, and bear in mind that for the time being, it’s cash only!
It’s evident that the University has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, but students have more autonomy over food consumption than many of us would care to admit. We may not be able to personally pull the University out of its £5.5 million shares in the fossil fuel industry, but we can control what goes in our bins. Whilst many may argue this is a rudimentary gesture in the face of impending global and environmental crisis, I optimistically believe it could help tackle overconsumption’s allure amongst a generation who has everything at their fingertips. In time, this may encourage a more holistic approach to sustainability that could be utilised as we move towards changing public policy.
Links:
https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/food-waste-student-perspective
https://www.topuniversities.com/sustainability-rankings
https://www.instagram.com/uofgguest
https://www.instagram.com/glasgowunifoodcoop
https://www.instagram.com/gaafmovement
