Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 45.45
Liaison Monika Kamboures
Submission Date May 30, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.38 / 2.00 Monika Kamboures
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Planning, Sustainability & Transportation
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
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Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
Yes

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:

The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch strives to practice environmental sustainability from the materials it uses in the kitchen and dining room to the culinary garden and vineyards located on the premises. Items from the garden are incorporated into the menu giving students a farm-to-table lesson in seasonal menu planning and preparation.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:

The Farm Store participates in farmer's markets and with Cal Poly Pomona grown fruits and vegetables. The also sell nursery and ornamental crops such as herbs, potted foliage, flowering plants, annuals and perennials, and landscape container plants.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the vegan dining program:

A variety of the campus dining programs offer vegan and vegetarian dining options, and the dining services have instituted "meatless mondays." In particular, Los Olivos restaurant provides a selection and clearly identifies specific vegan and vegetarian options for every meal. Vegetarian/vegan meals area offered from the grill (veggie burgers), deli bar (vegetarian sandwiches), and at the Taqueria. Soy milk is available at the beverage area within Los Olivos. Vegetables are prepared without butter or margarine, and beans and tortillas are lard-free. Fresh fruit and salad bar is offered daily, as is vegetarian chili and soup. The Los Olivos chef is a national award winner in a NACUFS Vegetarian Recipe contest.


Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
No

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
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Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
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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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
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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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
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Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:

The university has just joined the Real Food Challenge campaign, which is working toward a more sustainable food system. The goal is to incorporate 20 percent of local, community-based, ecologically sound and humane food sources by 2020.


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)?:
No

A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
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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?:
No

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
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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?:
Yes

A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:

In late 2008 trays were removed from the campus dining commons as a measure to reduce water and energy needed for dish washing. This program also reduces food waste in that students would only take as much as they can carry, and not fill up their tray.


Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
Yes

A brief description of the food donation program:

Surplus food is donated to Second Harvest to feed the homeless.


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)?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:

Kitchen scraps from food preparation, uneaten food, and leftover food from diners are thrown into biodegradable trash bags and a separate outdoor bin at many campus dining locations.


Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:

In partnership with Burrtec waste industries, Los Olivos Dining Commons is saving both money and the environment by diverting food waste from landfills to an off-site composing program managed by Burrtec. Trash is divided into three general categories comprising recyclables, food scraps, and miscellaneous trash. All food including fruits and vegetables, breads, meats, bones, and dairy are composted by the campus’ trash hauler, Burrtec. Kitchen scraps from food preparation, uneaten food and leftover food from diners are thrown into biodegradable trash bags and a separate outdoor bin. Los Olivos' composting initiative has diverted ten cubic yards of garbage per week from the landfill, or nearly 2,100 cubic yards per year. Several other campus venues are in the queue to participate in this program, including The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch, the Farm Store, and Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel.


Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:

In partnership with Burrtec waste industries, Los Olivos Dining Commons is saving both money and the environment by diverting food waste from landfills to an off-site composing program managed by Burrtec. Trash is divided into three general categories comprising recyclables, food scraps, and miscellaneous trash. All food including fruits and vegetables, breads, meats, bones, and dairy are composted by the campus’ trash hauler, Burrtec. Kitchen scraps from food preparation, uneaten food and leftover food from diners are thrown into biodegradable trash bags and a separate outdoor bin. Cal Poly's composting initiative has diverted ten cubic yards of garbage per week from the landfill, or nearly 2,100 cubic yards per year. Several other campus venues are in the queue to participate in this program, including The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch, the Farm Store, and Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel.


Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:

The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch uses only reusable service ware for dining.


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)?:
No

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
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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?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:

Students, faculty, and staff can bring a reusable mug to many of the dining locations on campus and receive a discount on their beverage purchase.

Amount of discount varies by location (different franchise operators offer different discounts).


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)?:
No

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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