As students across Canada face rising living costs, the University of Ottawa has introduced a new initiative to provide free food to students while also reducing food waste. Demand for the uOttawa Student Union’s food bank has surged by 400 percent over the past three years, prompting the creation of the Free Food Alert app. This app notifies students of leftover food from conferences, ceremonies, events, and meetings on campus, making uOttawa the first university in Canada to implement such a program.
Food insecurity affects over 56 percent of college students in Canada, leaving many struggling to afford healthy meals. The Free Food Alert app allows students, faculty, and staff to register for free accounts and receive notifications about available food on campus. Event organizers and caterers can easily share details about leftover food after events, ensuring it is redistributed to those who need it most. University administrators can support the program by purchasing memberships to expand its reach within the campus community.
Distributing leftover food to shelters and community organizations can be logistically challenging, but the Free Food Alert program simplifies this process. It helps event organizers manage food donations more efficiently while ensuring students have better access to food resources.
In addition to addressing food insecurity, the University of Ottawa is leading efforts to reduce waste on campus. It was the first university in the province to ban bottled water sales, encouraging the use of reusable cups by offering a 25-cent discount on beverages. The dining hall’s zero-waste design has reduced takeout packaging by nearly one million items annually.
Since September 2023, the university has implemented Frendlier, a program that offers reusable containers for takeout meals. Students can access containers for a 50-cent deposit and return them through the Frendlier app, significantly reducing plastic waste and food packaging. uOttawa has also banned Styrofoam packaging across campus as part of its commitment to becoming a zero-waste campus by 2025.
Through initiatives like Free Food Alert and its waste-reduction efforts, the University of Ottawa is setting an example of how institutions can address food insecurity and sustainability simultaneously.
Source: CityNews
