Melbourne Business School (MBS) teamed up with BioPak to replace disposable plastic foodservice packaging with compostable bioplastic alternatives in order to reduce waste and negative environmental impacts. MBS recognized that single-use plastic could not be fully eliminated from on-campus food outlets. By switching to BioPak's compostable packaging and compost collection service, MBS has been able to divert between 2,000-3,000 kilograms of compostable waste from landfills each month. This avoids methane emissions from landfills and removes non-recyclable plastic waste.

1. CASE STUDY: Melbourne
Business School
October 2019
HOW AN ICONIC
UNIVERSITY IS
FIGHTING THE
WAR ON WASTE

2. www.biopak.com
“BioPak offer a circular solution and from
a business perspective made it so much
easier to move into this area.”
— Mark Edmonds, Facilities Manager
MELBOURNE
BUSINESS
SCHOOL
THE CHALLENGE
When it comes to getting food
and drinks on campus, single-
use foodservice packaging
is in abundance and has
negative consequences for
the environment. Sustainable
alternatives must be sought.
Melbourne Business School is
a world-renowned school within
Melbourne University. Its on-
campus food and drink outlets
nourish a large student body as well
as faculty members. The associated
impact on the environment needs to
be considered and managed.
Single-use foodservice packaging
and disposables are frequently used
for the sake of practicality and food
safety, but have significant
environmental impacts ranging from
how the materials are sourced to
the disposal options once used.
THE SOLUTION
MBS teamed up with BioPak
in a bid to reduce negative
environmental impacts caused
by single-use plastics, replacing
disposable foodservice plastic
with compostable bioplastic
alternatives instead.
MBS Facilities Manager Mark
Edmonds, while recognising the
importance of implemeting reusable
solutions where practical, recognised
that single-use plastic in on-campus
food outlets could not be fully
eliminated.
MBS have sreduced their waste
to landfill by switching to BioPak
compostable packaging and joining
the BioPak compost service – which
facilitates the collection of used BioPak
compostable cups and packaging,
along with food and organic waste
produced at MBS.
Environmental sustainability was a
must and it was also important to look
at the practical things – like easy
ordering, fast delivery, and great range
of products. MBS composting
program saw them adopt
environmentally conscious solutions to
set an example and reduce waste to
landfill on campus.
THE RESULT
Switching to compostable
packaging is a simple step that
makes a big difference especially
on campus at universities, where
large quantities of food and
drink are consumed.
• Currently, MBS are diverting
between 2,000 and 3,000
kilograms of compostable waste,
that previously went to landfill,
each month.
• By simply doing this MBS are
avoiding methane emissions, a
greenhouse gas 28 times more
potent than Co2, by reducing
waste to landfill. They are also
removing the need for fossil-fuel
based plastics, which are
contaminated with food and
therefore not to recycled, within
on-campus food outlets.