KSG Catering has partnered with University College Cork to open Ireland’s first plastic free café. Located on the UCC campus in the Biosciences Institute, the ‘Bio Green Café’ was refurbished in August and officially opened as Ireland’s first plastic free café on Tuesday September 11.
All plastic drink bottles have been removed from the café and have been replaced with glass bottles and cans. Likewise, all plastic sachets have been removed and replaced with small reusable crockery containers.
No plastic cutlery is available in the café with traditional cutlery being the only available option; hot beverages are served in ceramic mugs; no plastic wrapped convenience snacks are available in the venue; and the café also has an integrated water fountain system with built in washing capability for students and staff to utilise.
Additionally, an extensive recycling and waste segregation area has been installed in the café and the station also contains an integrated digital scales. General and recyclable waste volumes have now been reduced by 95% on March and April activity levels.
Embracing Change
KSG CEO Michael Gleeson commented, “It has been great to work on this project in collaboration with UCC, and both students and staff have embraced the changes in a really positive way. It feels like we have made a significant step forward in turning things around and reducing plastic use on campus.”
Meanwhile, UCC president Patrick O’ Shea stated, “It was once said that that there was ‘a great future in plastics’. Now we know that a sustainable future must judiciously use renewable and sustainable resources. We are delighted to partner with KSG to develop the Bio Green Café for our students and staff, and as a model for a sustainable future for all."
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
