Wentworth Institute of Technology
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Debra
Shepard Sustainability Consultant N/A |
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:
Chartwells will regularly host farmers market events (seasonally from spring through fall) in the dining hall to educate the campus community about its partnerships with local farms.
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:
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:
Chartwells is a supporter of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and the Fair Food initiative, and partners with Sid Wainer to support small local farms.
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:
Be A Flexitarian
The "Be A Flexitarian" initiative encourages our guests to eat no meat at least once a week. This initiative helps diminish the environmental impact of animal production, especially as it relates to beef and greenhouse gas emissions.
Chartwells also promoted #StopFoodWaste Day and its program to use of "Imperfectly Delicious" produce.
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 items are labeled in the daily menu:
https://new.dineoncampus.com/cof/whats-on-the-menu
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:
Signage at the entrance of the dining hall describes Chartwells' sustainability commitment and provides prompts near options such as local produce. Labels (vegan, vegetarian, sustainable) are also available on the online menu and mobile app.
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:
Love Food, Not Waste
Love Food Not Waste campaign is designed to increase the awareness of our guests and address concerns about the waste that is created and its cost impact. The campaign focuses on four key areas of waste: food, water, energy and packaging. Our Love Food Not Waste campaign addresses ways that our staff and guests can reduce the amount of waste they produce by encouraging them to change their dining behaviors.
Trim Trax
Trim Trax is a food waste reduction program that is used by Chartwells to track, measure and reduce the amount of kitchen food waste in our facilities. It is designed to increase operational efficiencies and create awareness about reducing food waste and its environmental impact. This program has been extremely successful to date in reducing waste year over year.
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?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Waste vegetable oil is sent to an off-site facility to be processed into 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:
The dining contractor has a program to collect food scraps from the kitchen, which are then hauled to an off-site composting facility. Over 30 tons of food scraps are collected each year.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Wentworth is in the process of rolling out post-consumer food waste collection in the cafeteria (pilot basis).
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:
Dishwashing facilities are not available so re-useable service ware is not an option.
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:
To-go meals are served primarily in compostable cartons or recyclable plastic containers.
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:
Campus community members can bring their reusable mug in the cafeteria for discounted refills ($1).
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
While food procurement data were not available to fully submit credit OP-7, our dining vendor does offer the following sustainable choices:
Sustainable Seafood: Chartwells prioritizes the purchasing of seafood in accordance with Seafood Watch Guidelines.
10)% Cage Free Eggs: Chartwells is committed to taking a stand on animal welfare by offering HFAC certified cage free shell eggs.
Zero Trans Fats Oils: We uses oils that contain zero trans fats.
Local Food Sourcing: By focusing on local purchasing, we are able to reduce the miles required for delivery vehicles to deliver our products
Restricted Antibiotics: Chartwells strives to source chicken and turkey that has been produced with restricted use of antibiotics, especially as a growth additive in feed.
100% rBGH-Free Milk and Yogurt: We serve fluid milk and yogurt from cows that have been certified to be free of artificial growth hormones rBGH and rBST whenever possible.
100% Fair-trade / ECO-certified coffee
The dining vendor also offers culturally diverse options, wellness initiatives, and dietary accommodations for those with medical conditions (such as gluten-free, allergen-free, etc.)
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:
Operational Scope: Please note that Wentworth's dining facility also provides catering services for several other colleges within the Colleges of the Fenway.
Operational Scope: Please note that Wentworth's dining facility also provides catering services for several other colleges within the Colleges of the Fenway.
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