Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 47.04
Liaison Debbie Liddick
Submission Date April 21, 2023

STARS v2.2

Black Hills State University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.55 / 2.00 Maggie Torness
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:
Yes, we buy local honey, herb, and seasonally available items when feasible. 1% annually of total purchases

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
1

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:
We host several pop-up events that promote eating plant forward meals. Our dietician hosts different themed events throughout the year to promote this. We also do several events educating the students on being mindful of food waste and the impact it has.

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:
With Sodexo we now offer main line options every day that are plant based. We also have a U-cook station that has plant-based proteins available every meal. Our salad bar also features a diverse amount of plant based proteins to incorporate into each meal as well.

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:
BHSU uses digital signs and 8.5 x 11 glossy poster signs. Signs about locally produced foods are displayed in the dining food area.

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:
We use a system called Lean Path to track all pre- and post-production waste. This allows us to see what impacts we are having environmentally as well as financially. This system helps educate every person in the kitchen on their impact and has shown a reduction in over-preparing foods and ensuring we utilize the product more fully.

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:
We do not have trays in the dining hall or any of our on campus outlets. We also use smaller plates to help reduce food waste from over filling plates.

Food donation 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
No

A brief description of the food donation program:
We have such low waste amount due to systems in place to reduce over preparing that we rarely are discarding waste that could be donated.

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:
We have an onsite waste reduction system called a Somat that compacts and reduces waste for composting.

We have a local vendor that reuses our cooking oil for fuel for vehicles

We recycle all of our cardboard.

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:
The campus dining hall uses ceramic plates and stainless steel silverware.

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:
Dining Services offers a reduced price to-go meal and reusable container for purchase.

All of our togo cups and our togo containers are a certified eco freindly product that can be composted.

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:
Coffee is available at a reduced price for patrons who bring in their own mug.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
The campus dining hall, The Hive, hosts an International Food Festival each year where international exchange students who cook traditional meals and serve them to students and the community.
The American Indian Studies program hosts an annual free Buffalo Feed with a traditional Lakota stew.

The Hive and campus coffee shop, The Buzz Shack, are both Green Restaurant Certified.

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
https://www.bhsu.edu/Student-Life/Student-Services/Dining-Services

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.