Paul Robson

Paul Robson is the Executive Head Chef and Eco Champion for the Catering division, part of Campus Services.  Here we get a closer look at how Catering is championing sustainability across the University through a number of initiatives.

Since becoming an Eco Champion I have seen many positive changes across my department and we are definitely on the right track.

We’ve increased our recycling by introducing recycling bins in the coffee shops in partnership with Coca Cola. We all aim to do our bit and so we recycle all cardboard, soft drinks cans, bottles and glass. To ensure we measure how much we recycle, we count the number of bags filled, and weigh them to workout how much of our waste is recycled using this method.

We also make sure we are using the most eco-friendly products in our operations too, some of which supports the agenda very much behind the scenes. For example, we have trialled Humitech filters for our walk in fridge, which use a 100% natural mineral combination manufactured by Humitech. The Biosmart family of filters we use are based on exclusive proprietary blend 100% natural and environmentally friendly materials. We felt it very important to make sure we are doing everything we could so made sure that the filters had no moving parts, did not need batteries, take nothing from the environment, have no waste and are recycled with no adverse effect on the environment.

All of our coffee shops make sure they are as eco-friendly as possible. We have also looked at the packaging we use, and now use cornstarch containers in place of the old plastic containers. We use cardboard sandwich wedges with a cornstarch window for our homemade sandwiches, while also using cornstarch baguette boxes. We have introduced ripple cups to replace the old polystyrene ones, as they are 95% compost able. All our coffee shops and restaurant offices display energy saving information.

The waste cooking oil we use in our kitchens is now collected and used to make bio fuel. One of our suppliers even uses this to run some of its delivery trucks!

Wherever possible, we try to use local ingredients and suppliers. We use local suppliers such as Howells Butchers, Castell Howell Welsh products, Ashtons fish and Total produce for bread, milk, fruit and vegetables. We also use Brake Brothers frozen and dry goods who this year, were awarded the title of Green Wholesaler of the Year at the Grocer Gold awards.

We are now ready to take things to the next stage and have met with food waste experts, Tidy Planet to explore the possibility of composting some or all of our food waste. We are also investigating producing our own bio fuel made from used cooking oil, which would then be used to run our refrigerated vans.

The key to become a more sustainable university will be to do what we are currently doing well, and to keep exploring these new ventures in order to help the University move forward.