AU Green Guide: Food and drinks
You can make sustainable choices both during your lunch and your coffee breaks.
AU facts
In August 2022, vegetarian food became the standard choice when placing a catering order for meetings and conferences financed by AU. Read more about the initiative.
Tableware
Food and drinks require cups, plates, cutlery and wrapping. You can help the environment by making a few simple choices.
- You can use ordinary tableware instead of disposable tableware whenever possible.
- You can minimise your waste, for example, by reusing your plastic bags or using reusable boxes to store your food. Another option is to use beeswax paper, which does not affect the environment as much as tin foil.
- You can bring and fill your own thermo cup with coffee from coffee makers and coffee containers in all canteens on campus. Sometimes this is even cheaper than when you buy a cardboard mug for your coffee.
Did you know that ...
Waste thrown out in nature and in cities can take several hundred years to degrade. For example, an ice-lolly stick can take ten years to degrade and a straw takes 400 years.
AU facts
AU wants to reduce the university's residual waste and increase the share of waste that is recycled. In 2023 all waste at AU will therefore be separated into at least five categories, so that e.g. cans, plastics, glass and paper can be reused.
Minimise food waste
Most canteens on campus sell leftover food at the end of the day that you can take home with you and thus help minimise food waste. In several canteens, you can buy the food at a reduced price if the product is close to the expiry date.
Did you know that ...
minced beef (with 5-10% fat) emits 34.19 kg. CO2e per kilogram beef, while chicken breast emits 3.44 kg. CO2e per kilogram chicken and minced pork (with 5-10% fat) emits 2.90 kg. CO2e per kilogram prok. In comparison, potatoes emit 0.36 kg. CO2e per kilogram potatoes and kidney beans emit 1.05 kg. CO2e per kilogram beans.
AU facts
When tendering for new cafeteria services, AU includes stricter climate requirements in its tendering materials to ensure a sustainable selection of food for university staff and students.