Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.63
Liaison Yaffa Grossman
Submission Date May 19, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Beloit College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Lindsay Chapman
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1: Sustainable Dining Initiatives 

Sustainable Dining Policy

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
Bon Appetit, who is the Dining Services Vendor for Beloit College operates under the Farm to Fork Program (F2F). This program requires Bon Appetit chefs to purchase at least 20 percent of their ingredients from small farms and ranches (under $5M in sales) located within 150 miles of their kitchens that are registered through this program. By buying directly from farmers, we have much more control over what types of agribusiness we are supporting. In addition to the Farm to Fork criteria above, we buy only rBGH-free milk and yogurt; chicken, turkey, and hamburger from animals raised without the routine use of antibiotics; and cage-free eggs.

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
Yes

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
In the summer of 2013 Beloit College students broke ground on what is now Beloit Urban Garden (BUG). Bon Appetit agreed to purchase any vegetables that were grown and harvested at BUG and pay the student club fair market value.

Local Community Engagement 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, and/or urban agriculture project, or support such a program in the local community?:
Yes

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Beloit Urban Garden 9BUG) is an urban agriculture project started and ran by Beloit College students, with the help of a knowledgeable faculty mentor. BUG is cited in a neighboring housing plot to the College. On the same plot is a house that has been weatherized and is vacant. Students working the plot bring security to the neighborhood and reduce the likelihood of the house becoming vandalized. Additionally during the summer months, BUG has had two dedicated "Sustainability Fellows" that learn about gardening by working at BUG and a nearby Merrill community garden. The Merrill community garden was sited in a neighborhood that was target of gang violence. An empty plot was where this gang would hang out. A worker from a non-profit in Beloit decided to purchase the plot and start a community garden at this location. Over time the gang did not want to hang out next to a garden. Simultaneously, the neighborhood became very curious about the garden and because the gang spent less time there, the garden became a safe place for children to play and learn, and residents now take a lot of pride in the fact that they have a community garden. Bon Appetit offers free food plans for the two student workers who work at BUG and Merrill Community Garden for the entire summer.

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:
Vegan dishes are menued daily in multiple Stations in the servery. We use color coded COR icon stickers to denote specifics such as vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, humane, etc. They are available at each meal period in at least 1 station. A sample vegan menu would be jambalaya with tempeh rather than sausage, along with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato, parsley, and spices paired with steamed organic brown rice and roasted carrots.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
The Office of Sustainability partners with Bon Appetit to offer several Meatless Monday events each year. There is a large amount of pushback from the student body. Instead of continuing with a model that isn't working, the Office of Sustainability is now using the "Green Monday" program to meet students where they are in their sustainable lifestyle choices. More about Green Monday can be found at: greenmonday.org

Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Usually during the peak harvest seasons of late August and September Bon Appetit will host a couple all-local options in the campus cafeteria. Bon Appetit will also invite the student workers from Beloit Urban Garden (BUG) to do a "tasting table" where students offer salsa tasting and other samples of vegetables grown in the college's garden.

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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Labeling and Signage 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labeling and signage in dining halls?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Bon Appetit provides the following sustainability labels on all cafeteria food: Vegan: Contains absolutely no animal or dairy products. Farm to Fork: Contains seasonal, minimally processed ingredients from a local farm, ranch, or fishing boat. Seafood Watch: Contains seafood that meets the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guidelines for commercial buyers. Vegetarian: Contains no meat, fish, poultry, shellfish or products derived from these sources but may contain dairy or eggs. Organic: Contains at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (by weight) from a USDA certified source.

Outreach and Education 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
Each year and throughout the year Beloit has access to Bon Appetit's Midwest Sustainability Fellow. This member comes to campus at least once a year and provides field trips to Farm to Fork providers (small farms within 150 miles of the kitchen), for any students that wish to attend. The Head Chef and Operations Manager also work closely with the Office of Sustainability's student run Food Team. The Food team is responsible for putting on at leaest 3 engagement activities for the entire student body each semester. Activities include but are not limited to: food waste awareness events, Green Monday (and in the past Meatless Monday events), documentary screenings about the U.S. agricultural system, composting, and Vegan Athlete poster series.

Other Initiatives 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have other sustainability-related initiatives (e.g. health and wellness initiatives, making culturally diverse options available)?:
Yes

A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
Bon Appetit offers a monthly communications program that gets put out on all of the cafeteria tables. The program features categories on sustainably-sourced foods, corporate sourcing strategies, foods and their healthy attributes, and health and wellness tips and recommendations.

Part 2: Food and Dining Waste 

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:
Bon Appetit partners with the Office of Sustainability to participate in the national Food Recovery Network. Through this Network, volunteers and student workers in the Office of Sustainability work with employees at Bon Appetit to package up leftover food from the all-you-can-eat cafeteria and drive it 4 miles to a food pantry called Caritas. This food pantry serves families and individuals living in Beloit who struggle with hunger and food security. Additional to the Food Recovery Network, Bon Appetit and the Office of Sustainability partner each semester to offer a Food Waste Awareness event which helps students understand the cumulative impact of uneaten food from their plates. After food is scraped off students plates, Bon Appetit and the College

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:
Going trayless in Beloit College's dining locations was a student initiative in 2008. This switch resulted in a 35% decrease in post-consumer food waste. Beloit has had trayless dining halls ever since.

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:
The College is a Food Recovery Network location, which means students collect leftover food from the buffet-style cafeteria, package it, and drive it over to a local food pantry 4 miles from campus. The food is then distributed to individuals and families struggling with hunger. Additionally our Diving Services provider, Bon Appetit donates large amounts of one-time leftovers (e.g. lunch boxes from Commencement) to a men's shelter called Overflowing Cup.

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 (e.g. converting cooking oil to fuel, on-site anaerobic digestion)?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
A pulper and dehydrator were installed in the kitchen of our main cafeteria. This process takes any leftover food waste (pre- and post- consumer), grinds it up into a slurry, sends it through a centrifuge to extract as much water as possible, and then is put into a dehdrator where any remaining water is extracted. What is left is a soil amendment. This soil amendment is incorporated into landscaping around the college.

Composting 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
In addition to the food pulper and dehydrator in our main cafeteria kitchen, we also save our used vegetable oil and it is picked up by an external vendor who processes it into biodiesel.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
The Office of Sustainability in partnership with the Beloit Urban Garden run a volunteer-based composting program, 7 days a week during the academic year. Compost bins from 17 different locations around the residential side are picked up at least once per week and taken to the BUG composting bins.

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:
For our dine in meals in the main cafeteria only reusable service ware is used. Plates, utensils, cups, and mugs are all sent through a commercial dishwasher and reused. The other dining location on campus is almost all "take-away" food.

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:
At our "cafe" dining location, we have a program called Eco2Go, which provides students with a no-cost enrollment of two reusable to-go containers that they can use to take their food in. When the student returns for the next meal, they turn in their Eco2Go container to be washed, and receive a fresh Eco2Go container. At the end of the academic year, students are charged $10 per container if they are not returned.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Students using the Eco2Go program receive 10% off of their meal, and students presenting a reusable coffee cup at the Campus coffee shop, Java Joint, receive 10% off of their coffee price.

Other Materials Management Initiatives 

Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented other materials management initiatives to minimize waste not covered above (e.g. working with vendors and other entities to reduce waste from food packaging)?:
No

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://CafeBonAppetit.com/

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