| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.17 |
| Liaison | Carly Thibodeau |
| Submission Date | Aug. 21, 2023 |
Endicott College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Carly
Thibodeau Associate Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, 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:
The College is partnering with a local organization/farm that has a CSA to host on campus and promote for faculty, staff, and students. The Farm is based in Beverly only a few miles from campus and we are working towards having students intern at farm as well. See more at https://nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu/NewEntryCSA
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:
Sodexo has a natural! outlet on campus, which offers fruit smoothies and snacks throughout the day made with real fruit and no added sugar, water, flavors or colors. The goal of the outlet is to provide a natural and nutritious option for the community, including vegetarian and vegan guests as well as those with soy and dairy sensitivities. All of the food waste generated at natural! is composted, and all serviceware used is compostable.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor support disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its food and beverage purchasing?:
A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
When we can, we purchase from a local coffee shop that roasts their own beans and has a complete coffee program.
Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
Multiple times a year, Sodexo and the Office of Sustainability partner to put on "Show the Waste" events in the main dining hall. The event involves displaying all uneaten or wasted food on a table in the entrance of the dining hall as students walk in for their meal. There is also signage explaining the problem of food waste and some helpful tips to reduce it.
Once a year, Sodexo and the Office of Sustainability partner to host a Zero Waste BBQ in the spring, where the goal is that the majority of waste will be compostable, with some recycling and minimal waste sent to the landfill. This event serves about 400 people.
The dining hall also serves meatless burgers and has been highlighting meatless options at dinners.
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:
Vegan options are available daily at every meal in the dining hall and at each cafe on campus.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labelling and signage in dining halls?:
A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
- Multiple boards and signs around the dining hall show or list the local sources where the food is coming from, including a map that students walk by as they leave.
- Napkin holders are used for sustainability information including event information, healthy dining options, recycling and composting.
- There are TV screens in the dining hall and throughout campus that promote healthy food options under the "Mindful" campaign.
- Chalk wall in the dining hall is used by the Office of Sustainability and displays sustainable tips, schedules of sustainability events, etc.
-One wall of the dining hall contains a wall-size diagram of what happens to food waste at Endicott, from the consumer producing food waste to processing at anaerobic digester at a partner facility, etc
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:
Endicott participates in Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly RecycleMania) every year, which includes metrics for food waste diversion, prevention, and donation. The goal is to improve these efforts each year and place higher in the competition by following the U.S. EPA's Food Recovery Hierarchy. In the 2022 competition, Endicott placed 12th out of 91 schools for the food organics division.
The College also monitors and collects this data annually.
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:
Dining has been trayless since Spring of 2010, which reduced food waste on campus by 30%.
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:
An estimated 50 lbs of leftover food from the dining hall is donated to the Riverhouse Homeless Shelter in local Beverly each day, totaling 350 lbs per week. During the College's move-out donation program that is run every year, non-perishable food items are collected from every residence hall and donated to local shelters and organizations. From the 2022 Move Out Collection, 751lbs of food were donated to 4 different organizations.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Food waste on campus is sent to anaerobic digestion facility. Cooking oil is collected in tanks by a company who uses it for biofuel.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Pre-consumer food waste is collected in the kitchen of the dining hall in lined toter carts, which is then combined with post-consumer food waste. Since the creation of the compost program, pre-consumer collection has expanded to all satellite cafes and dining locations on campus. All toters are picked up by a food waste hauling company and sent to an anaerobic digestion facility. During the 2022 school year, 16.15 tons of food waste were diverted each month.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
All post-consumer food waste generated in the dining hall is collected for composting. Visitors to the dining hall place their used plates and dishes on a conveyor belt, and dining hall employees scrape the plates into lined toter carts.
Endicott has also started office/department composting as of fall 2022- faculty/staff are given a composting bin for their office to share, and deposit organics from their bin into satellite toters around campus. Currently, 5 offices/departments (up to 91 people) participate in this program.
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:
All plates and utensils in the dining hall are reusable. There are no disposable cups, plates or utensils used in the dining hall unless students request it.
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:
Students can purchase a reusable to-go container for a modest fee. After use, they can return the dirty container to the dining hall for cleaning and exchange it for a clean one. This program is widely used on campus.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
A 10 cent discount on coffee is offered at EATS Cafe and Einstein's Bagel Bros on campus if you bring a re-usable mug.
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
"Mindful" is an approach, certification, and campaign by Sodexo to provide healthy and nutritious foods. Their chefs and registered dietitians have worked together to create recipes that focus on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in messaging so that making "mindful" choices becomes second nature to guests and students.
Sodexo has also hosted various chiefs from partner institutions world-wide to highlight global cuisine. They also have specifically themed cultural days that highlight traditional meals from across the globe.
Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.