As we mark Food Waste Action Week, we reflect on the initiatives we are implementing to reduce food waste and create a more sustainable future, both on campus and beyond. Food waste is a significant issue with environmental, economic, and social consequences - the UK generates around 10.7 million tonnes of food waste each year, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
Research
At the University of Sheffield, various initiatives are tackling this challenge, from pioneering research to practical waste reduction strategies. Researchers at the University play a crucial role in uncovering the root causes of food waste and identifying strategies for reducing its impact. A recent study from the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds explores food waste in Tanzania's avocado trade, highlighting the social factors influencing waste in Africa's growing export industry. The research, published in Agriculture and Human Values, contributes to global food waste discussions.
Dr Megan Blake, a co-author of the study and an expert in food security and food justice, has also been featured in The Bread and Butter Thing podcast and The Grocer, providing expert comment and discussion on food waste in UK food banks and food clubs. Meanwhile, the South Yorkshire Food Network project, led by Professor Peter Jackson from the School of Geography and Planning, is investigating how a connected food system could create social, economic, and environmental benefits for the region.
Campus
Whilst our research has impacts across various locations, from Tanzania's avocado trade to food systems in South Yorkshire, we are also focusing on the impact of our campus, and we are now implementing a food waste collection scheme to reduce waste and lower carbon emissions. This initiative aligns with nationwide efforts to improve food waste compliance. We are taking our food waste collection a step further, by treating the collected food waste using anaerobic digestion, as it presents the best environmental outcome due to the generation of biofuel and digestate. The biofuel can be used to create electricity and gas for the grid, while the digestate serves as a nutrient-rich material that can be applied to land to enhance soil health.
The rollout of the food waste collection scheme is being carried out in two phases. From 1 April, the first phase will introduce food waste collection in high-impact areas, including kitchens and communal tea points. Following this, the second phase will extend the scheme to customer facing spaces such as cafes and communal areas, ensuring that food waste is efficiently diverted from general waste across campus. These compliance efforts build on existing food waste collection in University residences and catering outlets, ensuring a coordinated approach to food waste reduction.
Projects
While food waste collection minimises unnecessary disposal to general waste, the University is also leading food redistribution efforts through its award-winning Community Fridges project. As one of the first UK universities to introduce community fridges, we have saved thousands of meals from going to waste and have recently taken up the role of a 'Superstar Fridge', sharing insights and knowledge with newer Community Fridge projects.
Since its launch in 2017, the project has partnered with local stores to recover unsold but safe-to-eat food, preventing it from being discarded. With dedicated teams collecting and redistributing food seven nights a week, the initiative has made a tangible impact.
- 700 items saved daily, equivalent to 120kg of food.
- For every 1kg of food rescued, an average of 4.32 CO₂ is saved, meaning the fridges save approximately 3,024 CO₂ per day.
- Each kilo of food saved prevents the waste of 90 to 15,000 gallons of water.
- Each day averages 80 people using the fridges.
In January 2025, Sheffield became a 'Superstar Fridge'; part of a mentor scheme for other universities and community fridge groups to help strengthen food redistribution across the country. In addition, our Donate, Don't Waste scheme, designed to help students reduce waste and donate reusable items when they leave at the end of the academic year, resulted in 1.15 tonnes of food donated to a local food bank in 2023/2024.
Building on the success of the Community Fridges, students at Sheffield have taken direct action through initiatives such as Save Our Sandwiches, a group dedicated to rescuing surplus food from university cafes. Since 2015, this student-led group has been ensuring that leftover food goes to those in need rather than being wasted. Some of the rescued food is placed in our community fridges, while the rest is donated to local charities. The project exemplifies how student activism, combined with university support, can make a lasting impact on food waste reduction and community well-being.