Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.40
Liaison Margaret Lo
Submission Date June 12, 2023

STARS v2.2

Ball State University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.68 / 2.00 Karen Adkins
Senior Director of Auxiliary Services for University Dining, Catering, and Events
Business and Auxiliary Services
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Part 1. Sustainable dining initiatives

Local community engagement

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?:
No

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
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Sustainability-themed outlet

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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
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Inclusive and local sourcing

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Ball State University Dining total expenditures for this time period is $3,745,788; this is an increase from the last reporting period.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
44.96

Low-impact dining

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
Ball State University Dining works in partnership with the Ball State Student Government Association (SGA) to celebrate recycling & sustainability. The themed candlelit event called "Dinner in the Dark", focuses on both energy conservation and healthy sustainable food options with 350 students attending this annual event. Reusable water bottles and reusable bags are given to all participants.

Vegan dining program 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Ball State University Dining offers a culinary experience aimed to exceed the nutritional needs and culinary expectations of our diverse community. Ball State University offers vegetarian and vegan options in approximately 25 micro-restaurants through-out campus, within these micro-restaurants we have vegan/vegetarian custom made and grab & go selections. The total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods was 37.70%. Ball State University also offers two (2) micro-restaurants that are free of the Top-9 allergens, helping to exemplify our commitment to inclusivity.

Labelling and signage 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
Ball State University Dining promotes refillable drink containers and reusable bags at all nine (9) University Dining locations, in 2017 and 2021 (new design) University Dining distributed 10,000 reusable bags to reduce the usage of plastic bags within the University Dining locations. With signage and marketing we encourage our customers to partner with us in the reduction of single use straws and other disposable take-out containers.

Part 2. Food waste minimization and recovery

Food recovery program

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Ball State Dining uses a menu management system conducting weekly inventories to keep stocks low and avoid spoilage/waste. The menu management system closely tracks inventory, food purchases, food production and food waste.

Trayless dining and portion modifications 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
Ball State University Dining promotes responsible food purchasing in all nine (9) dining locations with trayless dining. With signage and marketing we encourage our customers to partner with us in responsible portions and purchasing.

Food donation 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
Yes

A brief description of the food donation program:
Ball State University Dining has donated wholesome leftovers to local nonprofits for over a decade. This action and effort occurs in the short window between when University Dining food must be removed in accordance with Indiana State Health Code. Ball State University Dining food donation was approximately 8,000 - 10,000 pounds, diverting 4-5 tons of food waste to local landfills.

Food materials diversion 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
University Dining continues to recycle oil from fryers, uses bulk-frying oil to reduce the need for paper and plastic oil containers. During this time period, approximately 4,100 pounds of waste oil has been recycled locally for animal feed and bio-fuel. University Dining also collects and composts 100% of used coffee grounds.

Composting 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
No

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
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Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
No

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
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Dine-in service ware 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Ball State University Dining encourages our customers to use fewer disposable items; offering china and flatware for those choosing to dine-in.

Take-away materials 

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)?:
Yes

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
During this time period, Ball State University Dining purchased 75,413 pounds of compostable food service packaging, this is an increase of 43,901 pounds compared to FY 21.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Ball State University Dining promotes refillable drink containers at all nine (9) University Dining locations. Upon return to our dining locations with a clean 32 oz or smaller reusable container the refill price is $.80.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Ball State University Dining proactively addresses all sustainability opportunities such as supply items, food purchases, etc. utilizing a comprehensive three-pronged sustainability approach: 1. Environmental; 2. Social and 3. Economic. Also note, that each product is reviewed from a complete life cycle analysis of total carbon footprint and not just end of life.

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
http://www.bsu.edu/campuslife/dining/about-us

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.