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Sustainable catering is one of the topics that Brno University of Technology perceives not only as an environmental challenge but also as an opportunity to improve the quality of services and student satisfaction. That is why the BUT Sustainability Office joined forces with the Faculty of Business and Management and involved students in analysing the current state of catering at the university. The students focused both on the operation of BUT canteens and on the wider food ecosystem – vending machines for food and drinks, cafés, bistros and coffee machines across the university campuses.The dietary analysis was based on data and the experiences of students.The aim of the student projects was to map the current state of catering at BUT, identify strengths and weaknesses and propose specific measures leading to higher quality, more efficient and more sustainable operation. The students worked with questionnaires, interviews and benchmarking of good practice from other Czech and international universities.The outputs showed that students appreciate the availability of canteens, but at the same time perceive room for improvement – for example in the diversity of the offer, especially vegetarian and vegan meals, in the organisation of food distribution, queue lengths, the quality of information in applications and in reducing single-use packaging. In vending machines and snack bars, there was repeated demand for healthier options, better placement and greater awareness of waste sorting options or the use of reusable containers.
The projects were not only about naming problems but also about the proposal of concrete solutions. The students recommended, for example, introducing different portion sizes as a tool to reduce food waste, expanding the system of returnable packaging, discounts for using one’s own food containers, better use of digital tools for pre-ordering and communication, or pilot testing weeks for new measures. Clear communication towards students, especially first-year students, was also identified as an important topic.The cooperation took place within the course Service Design Management under the guidance of Lucie Kaňovská and involved both full-time and part-time students. The final student presentations were attended by representatives of the BUT Sustainability Office, Tereza Kučerová and Kateřina Myslivcová, as well as the new Director of BUT Dormitories and Canteens, Iva Jarolínová. “I see the involvement of students as very beneficial. Their perspective is authentic, based on their own experience and supported by analyses. We want to continue working with many of the recommendations when promoting steps towards more sustainable operation of BUT canteens,” said the Director of BUT Dormitories and Canteens.
The cooperation between the Faculty of Business and Management and the Sustainability Office shows how teaching can be linked with the real needs of the university. Students gained experience with a practical project and the university obtained valuable inputs for the further development of catering services. The analyses and proposed measures will serve as one of the starting points for further discussion and gradual steps towards higher-quality and more sustainable catering at BUT.Source: Sustainable BUT University