| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.02 |
| Liaison | Megan Litke |
| Submission Date | Sept. 17, 2024 |
American University
OP-8: Food Recovery
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Lia
Gomez Sustainability Analyst Office of Sustainability |
8.1 Food recovery program
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s surplus food donation program:
AU partners with the Food Recovery Network on campus during the fall and spring semesters. Students recover surplus food from campus dining locations, including Starbucks, Panera, and the dining hall, and donate it to the on-campus food pantry. There are no donations made during the summer.
Do the institution’s dining services divert pre-consumer food waste from disposal for processing and use as animal feed, compost, and/or biofuel?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s pre-consumer food waste diversion program:
Food waste created while preparing food at the Terrace Dining Room (TDR) and coffee grounds from AU's student operated, Davenport Coffee Lounge and the Bridge Cafe are composted.
All compost is sent to the Prince George's County industrial composting facility in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Do the institution’s dining services divert post-consumer food waste from disposal for processing and use as animal feed, compost, and/or biofuel?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s post-consumer food waste diversion program:
AU's compost program has been up and running across campus since 2017. Bags that are too contaminated may be diverted to landfill, so the entire campus community commitment to sorting waste is critical to the success of AU's front of house composting program.
Every composting bin on campus has detailed signage on what belongs in the bin as well as a restrictive lid to help reduce contamination. The Office of Sustainability EcoReps as well as interns from the Zero Waste office work together to help promote proper waste sorting through various campus initiatives. Examples initiatives include:
- Race to Zero Waste Competition
- Sustainability Basketball Game
- Waste Sorting Educational Events in AU Dining Halls
- Tabling at Campus Events
All compost is sent to the Prince George's County industrial composting facility in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Do the institution’s dining services track and assess their food and organic materials management efforts on at least an annual basis to inform ongoing improvements?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s food and organic materials management tracking and assessment initiatives:
American University's dining survives uses Waste Not 2.0 to monitor, analyze, and reduce the campus's food waste.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
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.