Crystalbrook to assist in food waste sustainability study

Crystalbrook Collection has partnered with the University of Newcastle’s Food Science Research Group and will donate restaurant and bar waste from its new Kingsley hotel to assist in a study about sustainability and circular economies.

The hotel, which opened to guests in June, will continues its push to promote sustainability and environmentalism in its operations by donating restaurant and bar waste from its dining facilities – Romberg’s, Ms Mary’s and the rooftop restaurant Roundhouse – to the University.

Items to be donated will include citrus peels, ground coffee, fruit skins and pulp and other off cuts, which will help the university conduct research on how these items can be recycled or upcycled to turn them into new products such as beverage coasters, stirrers and other complimentary guest amenities.

Through the partnership, University of Newcastle is aiming to investigate the environmental impact of the hospitality industry and identify ways to push sustainability and innovation by finding new uses for discarded items.

Further, the partnership will see the hotel operator fund the annual Crystalbrook Kingsley Environmental Scholarship, which will be granted to a student who shows a strong passion for waste utilisation. The scholarship will be funded each year for an initial period of four years and will give the winning student an opportunity to work with Crystalbrook Kingsley to devise and implement new environmental practices.

Crystalbrook Collection CEO, Geoff York, said the collaboration with the University of Newcastle was an exciting prospect.

“As we continue our commitment to sustainability, this partnership will see the development of practical solutions that reduce our environmental impact, while also introducing strategies that can be adopted worldwide,” he said.

University of Newcastle Director of Advancement, Rebecca Hazell, said she was excited about Crystalbrook Kingsley’s commitment to education through scholarships and that she was looking forward to seeing students develop new and innovative environmental solutions.

Earlier this year, Crystalbrook Collection became the first hotel group in Australia to convert its hotel bathrooms into 100% waste-free areas through its partnership with Vanity Group.

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