Forever Keele eZine Summer 2020 | Page 7

Forever Keele 7 from Amnesty International Society are helping with promotional activities. The initiative works in the same way as the reusable coffee cups, and as of January 27th, students and staff can present their container at outlets such as On the Square, the Refectory, Street Food and the Students’ Union outlets to receive food in their own containers. The scheme is not currently available at the Mezze bar in Chancellor’s or nights out at the Students’ Union. Any form of clean reusable container can be used to take advantage of the scheme as long as they are large enough for the portion of food dispensed. Branded containers will be available at food outlets on campus for £6.50 for clamshell-style boxes and £5.50 for round containers suitable for soup, porridge and pasta pots. As with the coffee cup scheme, a 25p levy is charged for those purchasing food in a single-use container, with the money being reinvested in sustainability initiatives on campus. The scheme encourages people to use their own reusable containers in a bid to reduce reliance on single-use boxes. Although many boxes used across Keele are made from VegWare which is plant-based, reducing our use of disposable packaging reduces demand on resources and energy needed to create them. Sustainability Project Officer Sarah Briggs said: “It’s fantastic to be launching the new Eat, Rinse, Repeat campaign across Keele. Projects like this are only possible because of the partnership we have between the University and Students’ Union around embedding sustainability in all we do. The Catering and Retail Team, Students’ Union, student societies, and Sustainability Team have come together to make this new project happen. It’s exciting to see how campaigns to reduce single-use packaging on campus can not only be beneficial in their own way, but also help raise funds to continue driving sustainability initiatives across campus.” www.keele.ac.uk/news Smart Energy Network Demonstrator Discover more about the ground-breaking project that will deliver better energy management, reduce reliance on fossil-fuel derived energy, significantly reduce energy waste and provide the opportunity to trial innovative systems for energy use and management. Climate change is one of the biggest global threats to ever face our planet, the effects of which are increasingly starting to be felt. To mitigate against these effects, change is needed urgently. We need to better understand how we produce, distribute and consume energy in a more flexible and efficient manner, whilst also reducing our reliance on fossil fuels to significantly reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.