| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.99 |
| Liaison | Sarah Gilly |
| Submission Date | Aug. 31, 2023 |
Stevens Institute of Technology
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.38 / 2.00 |
Luke
Hansen Transportation and Sustainability Development Manager Facilities and Campus Operations |
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:
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:
Yes. The Vedge is a food outlet that is new to Stevens. Only vegetarian and vegan dishes are served at The Vedge.
All of our other food outlets have a sustainability theme. Dining options throughout campus continue to adapt sustainable practices by offering more nutritious, plant-forward menus without compromising presentation, flavor, and variation. Every campus food outlet has a sustainable mindset. Some examples include the use of paper straws, recyclable paper clamshell containers, and the removal of disposable plasticware. Plant-based milk and dairy alternatives are available in all dining locations.
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:
Yes. Students can use Stevens dining dollars (campus meal plan) on any Grubhub vendor in America, including those in Hoboken and nearby Jersey City. Many businesses in Hoboken and Jersey City can be defined as these types of business. Stevens also supports local companies such as The Bread Gal in Patterson, NJ. Instead of bringing in large corporations to our new Marketplace, we have enlisted Sono, The Halal Stall, and Piccola Italia to provide food to students. Stevens also has Sushi Friday – local sushi restaurant Mei Hibachi provides a selection of sushi rolls each Friday evening.
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:
Every Monday is Meatless Monday and there are plant-forward options available every day.
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 at every meal. The entrée line has a minimum of one vegan dish per service time.
New to Stevens is Vedge, a station that is dedicated to vegan (and vegetarian) dishes.
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:
There is vegan and vegetarian labeling on all items with distinct symbols on menus. There is signage throughout the dining hall on napkin dispensers as well as on the Stevens Dining bulletin board. It is also highlighted on the monthly event calendars.
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:
No trays are used in the dining hall.
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:
Due to food safety concerns and temperature regulations, prepared food cannot be donated to the local shelter or nearby organizations (as per establishment’s protocol and donation criteria). However, Stevens Dining runs programs throughout the year that allow students to utilize their meal swipes to purchase non-perishable sealed products that are then donated to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.
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:
Stevens utilizes on-site anaerobic digestion.
Cooking oil is reused through Restaurant Technologies, a program that properly recycles used cooking oil.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting 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:
Metal tableware is provided in the dining hall
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 instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Due to food and health safety concerns, personal reusable mugs are no longer permitted in dining locations.
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
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.