REDUCING WASTE AT GRANTVILLE LODGE

Reducing waste at Grantville Lodge is a priority for 2023. We are undertaking a new approach to waste reduction in the future. It’s an exciting project. that will be ongoing. We encourage groups to consider their food consumption and their food they waste.

In the first place, Grantville has dismantled their original kitchen garden and it will be relocated to a more suitable place at the site. The vegetables and herbs they’ll grow will be used in the kitchen for meals. This helps with reducing food costs as well as knowing the produce is freshly grown. With this intention, we will be measuring the produce we grow so we know how effectively we’re being.

TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU EAT

With this in mind, we are then starting a waste reduction program that will involve everyone at the site. It will start with creating a ‘take only what you can eat’ mantra. We always provide plenty, enough for those who would like ‘seconds’. We will be educating people on speaking directly to the kitchen staff who serve them and asking for the quantity of food they want. Why ask for mashed potato if it’s not your thing? Because we support people eating only what they’d like. WIth this in mind however we still encourage everyone to try new things and UC Camping are known for their healthy, nutritious food. But we also respect that if you don’t like to eat waffles, you don’t have to.

Additionally, Grantville Lodge will start a “Weight The Waste’ approach. This increases people’s awareness of how much food they waste. It will also plant the seed on how much food they get versus how much they actually eat. 

BRING ON THE SCOREBOARD

Equally important will be the ‘scoreboard’ which will be in the dining hall and updated after each meal. After each meal, leftover food waste will be weighed and updated on the scoreboard. Even if a group is only on site for 3 days / 2 nights, they will still see results that will demonstrate their waste and how they have improved. For the most part, duty groups will work alongside the kitchen staff and teachers to make this successful. For the most part, it’s a simple and easy part of the dining experience.

Ultimately, by the time groups leave Grantville Lodge, they will know their consumption and waste results.

NEW GOVERNMENT POLICY

Furthermore, the State Government of Victoria have implemented a policy that which started on the 1st February 2023, where single use plastic is banned. It’s timely for all of the Grantville team and they are looking forward to supporting with the policy. We all know the problems caused by single use products and packaging, not only to our environment but also in terms of waste management. Many single use items are not recyclable and are made of all sorts of substances that can take a very long time to break down, some in excess of 1000 years. They unncessarily add to waste and landfill.

Finally, this is a concept project that will be rolled out across sites once we have good data and statistics to see the success of what we are trying to achieve. You are welcome to offer input and ideas and we will publish results on this blog to show how things have worked on a monthly / annual basis.

To sum up, this is an exciting concept for not just UC Camping but for all of our guests.

Of course, for more information on the State Government’s plans, Click here

You can read more about ‘Leave No Trace’ principles on our website. Click here