Lancaster University has signed up to tackle food waste on campus by working with the Too Good To Go app; offering surplus food at a big discount.

Every day, unsold fresh food goes to waste at our food outlets on campus and whilst this waste is minimal, it can quickly add up over time. Globally, more than one-third of food is wasted, and if food waste were a country, it would be the third-highest greenhouse-gas emitting nation behind the US and China. Experts agree that reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to address the climate emergency.

Too Good To Go works by partnering with local restaurants, cafés and businesses to combat food waste by offering mystery “Magic Bags” of whatever is left at the end of the day at significantly reduced prices. At Lancaster, bags will be available at Barkers, Marketplace, Pendle Brew, The Hub and The Deli.

The partnership with Too Good To Go is part of Lancaster’s sustainability strategy, where reducing carbon emissions of food and food waste, plays an important role. Some of the initiatives that the Food and Dining team are implementing are:

• Using local food suppliers wherever possible; including Atkinsons Coffee and George Speights and Sons for all fruit and vegetables.
• Reducing the number of supplier deliveries to campus
• Large events on campus going single-use plastic-free – such as Extravs, Roses and Open Days.

How to grab discounted food

1. Download the Too Good To Go app on the App Store or Google Play
2. Keep an eye out for restaurants and shops, like the Marketplace or Barkers, listing food that’s up for grabs
3. Reserve and pay for your 'magic bag'
4. Arrive at the venue at the set time, show your order on your app, and collect your bag
5. Enjoy your discounted food, knowing you've saved it from being thrown away!

For more information on our Sustainability strategy, visit our sustainability pages.