RGU Go Green, a sustainability initiative led by Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Students’ Union, has launched Aberdeen’s first zero waste community café.
The café aims to raise awareness of food waste and encourage students and the local community to consider ways in which they can improve the environmental impact of their meals.
Each Friday, student volunteers will prepare hot, locally sourced free meals for the community with minimal environmental impact from the activities and no waste generated for landfills.
Located at Ruthrieston Community Centre on Holburn Street, the café is the first of its kind in Aberdeen and is one of only a few schemes operating in the country.
David Nicolson, climate change manager at RGU Go Green, said: “We launched the Zero Waste Café to help spread the sustainability message throughout the community, but also to bring the community together.
“We aim for this café to become a focal point for locals, providing good food, fun events and a little bit of education, all with a zero waste twist.”
The café was officially launched on Friday October, 14 at an event which was attended by students, university staff, local counsellors, charities and residents of the community.
Laura Cristea, RGU Go Green's climate change project officer, said: “More and more people are now realising there is a strong link between wasting perfectly edible groceries, climate change and food poverty.
“We wanted to give any student and resident in our city a space to explore ways of tackling this big flaw in logic and our supply chains. We’re also re-learning together how to cook and enjoy delicious food sustainably. Our volunteers are really great and already say they notice the difference it makes.”
The café will be open to the public for the first time on Friday, October 21 from 6pm to 8pm. It will then be open every Friday evening and will offer a range of events including movie screenings, open mic nights and ceilidhs to engage students and the community, as well as promote a positive environmental message.