Community Fridge Relaunched to Combat Food Waste and Support Students
Conceived and developed by students and staff as part of the We are Chemistry Programme, the Community Fridge is part of a growing movement toward a circular economy, where resources are reused and shared rather than discarded. Located on the Science Concourse, the fridge provides a space where surplus food can be stored and shared with students and anyone in need, delivering environmental, economic and social benefits for the Chemistry community and beyond.
Dr Tom Ritchie, Director of Student Experience in Chemistry, explains the initiative's broader vision:
"We started this to support chemistry students with cost of living challenges, but working with other departments through the We are Chemistry project, we're pleased to bring it to all students and staff. What's exciting is how it's transformed our teaching too - students in our CH169 Beyond Science module who chose to work on SDG2 (No Hunger) have helped develop the Community Fridge with branding, recipe cards and more, showing how we can turn campus into a living laboratory."
The initiative seeks to shift how we think about food waste by encouraging the community to differentiate between inedible waste—such as eggshells or spoiled food—and perfectly good surplus food that can be redistributed.
Currently, four venues are taking part in the trial phase of the project: Eatwise Test Kitchen, NEXUS Café, Café Library, and Rootes Grocery Store. Once the trial is complete, the team will review its outcomes and expand to additional locations. The first expansion is already underway, with the We are Chemistry team working with students in Life Sciences to set up a second Community Fridge on the Gibbet Hill campus, ready for the new academic year.
From left to right: Evelin Sanderson-Nichols (Sustainability Coordinator, Energy & Sustainability team), Hayley Lambert (Sustainability Champion - Circular Economy, Energy & Sustainability team), Jupiter Stevenson (Student Volunteer), Ed Nice (Food and Beverage Development Manager, Food Group)
Fully stocked Community Fridge.
To maintain safe food handling standards, the fridge’s temperature is monitored regularly by students and staff volunteers from the Department of Chemistry. Additionally, the Waste & Recycling team conducts routine checks of food dates, disposing of any items no longer safe for consumption.
Contributions to the fridge are welcome from individuals, societies, and university departments. All donations must be clearly labelled and include allergen information written in English to ensure food safety and accessibility for all users. Detailed guidelines on what can be donated are available here.t
The Community Fridge is located off the Science Concourse, 2nd Floor (enter from Library Bridge side).