Sustainable Dining        

                     Do You Contribute?                

Have you heard at least one of these words: “going tray less, food waste, sustainable, eco-friendly, impact on the environment, greenhouse gases, going green” etc? Chances are that you have and there is a reason behind all the fuss these words are creating!

Today, human pressure on the environments is greater than ever before and only sustainability will allow future generations to meet their own needs. We have a responsibility as individuals, corporations, intuitions and society to do “something green” for the future generations.

Keeping in mind our responsibilities towards the environment we (dining services) have gone green on your campus! Our EcoSteps Program strives to balance social responsibility with positive dining experiences.

Some notable achievements of our EcoSteps program on your campus include turning used fryer oil into bio-diesel, making sustainable marketing materials like re-usable signage boards, using slate boards, use of recycled paper, and offering "Fair Trade coffee at St. Bernard’s Grille and Griffin Grounds Coffee Shop! Majority of our "On The Go" containers are biodegradable and going tray less on Tuesday’s, and Thursdays has cut down on the water, chemical, food, and energy waste involved in cleaning the trays!

We also participate in the Sustainable Seafood Program and only serve * rBGH hormone free milk and milk products at all locations on campus. About 80 percent of our fresh produce in season and 20 to 30 percent of fresh produce overall come from local producers. This means that you get fresher produce and are contributing towards the growth of the local economy while cutting down on fuel used for transport!

Encouraged by your cooperation and support of our programs, we will be going tray less every day starting Spring 09. In addition, we are working on a small project to determine exactly how sustainable some of our practices are by weighing your food and drink waste and measuring the total impact of tray less days!

Keep checking our website on a regular basis for additional updates!