Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
---|---|
Overall Score | 77.18 |
Liaison | Daimon Eklund |
Submission Date | Oct. 12, 2018 |
Executive Letter | Download |
University of Washington, Seattle
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Claudia
Frere-Anderson Director UW Sustainability |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
More information here:
https://hfs.uw.edu/Eat/About-Your-Food
http://depts.washington.edu/greenhfs/
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/center-for-urban-horticulture/gardens/uw-farm/
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, and/or urban agriculture project, or support such a program in the local community?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a vegan dining program that makes diverse, complete-protein vegan options available to every member of the campus community at every meal?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a sustainability-themed food outlet on-site, either independently or in partnership with a contractor or retailer?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
In addition, Cultivate, our on-campus gastropub, was created to showcase local and sustainable cuisine.
https://hfs.uw.edu/Eat/Dining-Locations/Cultivate
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labeling and signage in dining halls?:
A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/center-for-urban-horticulture/gardens/uw-farm/
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have other sustainability-related initiatives (e.g. health and wellness initiatives, making culturally diverse options available)?:
A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
https://www.washington.edu/wholeu/2018/03/23/staff-story-tero/
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor participate in a competition or commitment program and/or use a food waste prevention system to track and improve its food management practices?:
A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented trayless dining (in which trays are removed from or not available in dining halls) and/or modified menus/portions to reduce post-consumer food waste?:
A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
A brief description of the food donation program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses (e.g. converting cooking oil to fuel, on-site anaerobic digestion)?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
UW Seattle campus’s food waste tonnage is partially calculated with volume to weight estimates. In 2015, we performed an audit and found that, due to the increase in paper towel composting and compostable packaging, food waste is much lighter per cubic yard now than when the previous estimate was created 10 years ago.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
We also capture cooking oil for recycling from eight food service locations on campus.
In July of 2012, the dining program at the University of Washington received the gold award from the National Association of College and University Food Services sustainability awards competition for our waste management program.
In addition to the campus cafes, residence halls and dining facilities, other post-consumer food waste composting infrastructure can be found on campus. This includes 35 outdoor containers that capture recycling, compost and landfill materials. These outdoor containers are located in high-traffic, high-food waste consumption areas such as Red Square, the HUB and the Quad. UW Recycling has also invested a lot of resources into expanding the composting program throughout all academic buildings on campus with over 650 compost bins found in 135 buildings on campus.
UW Seattle campus’s food waste tonnage is partially calculated with volume to weight estimates. In 2015, we performed an audit and found that, due to the increase in paper towel composting and compostable packaging, food waste is much lighter per cubic yard now than when the previous estimate was created 10 years ago. For additional details, view our 2016 Annual Report: http://www.washington.edu/facilities/building/recyclingandsolidwaste/sites/default/files/signs/UWRecycling2016AnnualReport.pdf
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor provide reusable and/or third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals (in conjunction with an on-site composting program)?:
A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented other materials management initiatives to minimize waste not covered above (e.g. working with vendors and other entities to reduce waste from food packaging)?:
A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
http://recyclemania.org/participate/gameday-recycling-challenge/
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
All of our eggs on campus are organic and cage free, humane and salmon safe certified and come from a local farm just south of the University near Roy, Washington, at the foot of Mt. Rainier. We incorporate soy based proteins and utilize a combination of legumes, grains and nuts to provide all of the essential amino acids for a complete protein and healthy diet. The majority of our dairy products come from Medosweet, which sources from local family owned dairies that are antibiotic and steroid free. The milk is very fresh using a three day process from the time the cows are milked till we recieve the product and put it in our cooler and recipes for our customers to enjoy. We have strong relationships with local bakeries that use sustainable and organic ingredients and partnerships with local meat and seafood companies that use humane practices. Our spend on organic purchases has increased over this past year and we continue to focus on sustainability in our dining locations.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.