Sustainable food and catering
UEL's catering services are provided by Aramark. Across our campuses, we offer a range of food, drink, catering and hospitality services designed to provide affordable options for students, staff and visitors.
Our campuses include a variety of food and drink outlets located across key campus locations.
Sustainability initiatives in food and catering
Too Good To Go
Five campus outlets use the Too Good To Go app to sell surplus food at discounted prices, helping to reduce food waste.
In 2024–25, the scheme saved 717 meals from going to waste and prevented 1.94 tonnes of CO2e emissions.
Vytal reusable cups and containers
Through a partnership with Vytal, students and staff can borrow reusable coffee cups and food containers free of charge from participating outlets and return them to collection points after use.
The scheme helps reduce single-use packaging waste across campus.
FareShare
Through FareShare, Aramark redistributes surplus food from campus outlets to local communities.
In 2024–25:
- 6,616kg of food was redistributed
- 15,752 meals were provided
- 11.72 tonnes of CO2e emissions were avoided
Collection frequency increased from one to two days per week in 2025.
Ditch the Disposables
The #DitchTheDisposable campaign encourages staff and students to choose reusable cups and food containers instead of single-use alternatives.
To support the initiative, a levy applies to disposable cups and food containers sold on campus.
FoodPrint
In 2024–25, Aramark introduced FoodPrint, a carbon labelling scheme that shows the environmental impact of menu items.
Foods are rated from A to F, with A representing the lowest carbon impact and F the highest, helping students and staff make informed choices.
Wipe Out Waste
The Wipe Out Waste campaign promotes creative ways to reduce food waste through interactive events and demonstrations.
Activities have included recipes using ingredients that are often discarded, such as fruit and vegetable peelings and used coffee grounds.
Dialogue Café
The Dialogue Café is a social enterprise delivered in partnership with Dialogue Hub CIC.
The café creates employment opportunities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing baristas while promoting Deaf awareness and British Sign Language (BSL) learning through workshops, events and community activities.
Visitors are encouraged to order using BSL, supported by interpreters and interactive learning resources. The café also works with local suppliers that prioritise sustainability and social value.
Read more about the Dialogue Café.
Ethical purchasing
Although UEL is not Fairtrade accredited, we support ethical purchasing across our campus.
Our outlets sell a range of Fairtrade products, including tea, chocolate and fruit, and we seek opportunities to source consumables responsibly wherever possible.
Plant-based and vegetarian food options
All food outlets and campus shops offer vegan and plant-based food choices, helping staff, students and visitors make more sustainable food choices.
We also take part in annual awareness campaigns, including Veganuary and Food Waste Action Week, to encourage discussion about the environmental impact of food production, consumption and supply chains.
These initiatives help raise awareness of sustainable eating and support UEL's wider commitment to reducing its environmental impact.