The university won the Campus Health, Food and Drink accolade at the ceremony, which recognises exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the world.
Judges commented on NTU’s holistic approach to catering, full of good practice which exceeds customer expectations in terms of variety, nutrition and above all sustainability.
The NTU Catering Services team’s recent achievements included a compelling reduction in food miles, waste, and energy consumption, and a considerable expansion of Fairtrade, organic, MSC, Red Tractor and plant-based produce. Sustainable catering education has been improved within the university and wider community and the team worked with suppliers to improve their sustainable credentials.
Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor at NTU said after the presentation: “This Award reflects the University’s strategic commitment to embracing sustainability, empowering people and valuing ideas. Our students arrive already engaged with the key sustainability questions; by collaborating with our teaching and professional teams, we aim to develop their understanding and provide them with the opportunities to deliver meaningful change.
“We discovered that small changes can contribute substantially to the bigger picture, we avoided being overprotective of our knowledge and through sharing made a greater impact, and we made sustainability an essential not an optional in all of our practices.”
In addition, the university’s sustainability team was highly commended in the popular Student Engagement category for promoting more sustainable and wellbeing lifestyle choices in a fun and meaningful way through the University’s Green Rewards programme.
The NTU Green Rewards app is a joint venture between NTU and the Students’ Union (NTSU). Student users are signposted to climate positive actions they can take across six key themes, ranging from reducing food waste, to sustainable travel and connecting with nature.