| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.14 |
| Liaison | Bremen Leak |
| Submission Date | July 10, 2024 |
Brigham Young University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Bremen
Leak Associate Director Sustainability & Continuity |
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?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Until the covid-19 pandemic, BYU hosted a weekly farmers market at LaVell Edwards Stadium from August to October, supplying baked goods, fresh produce, arts, crafts, and BYU Creamery products. Open to the community and local vendors, the farmers market required produce to be locally grown and at least 50 percent of booths to sell produce. Beyond live music and tastings, the farmers market also provided BYU chefs with fresh ingredients for meals prepared on campus. In 2019, 36 vendors and 1,500 visitors attended the final event of the season.
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
Established in 2019 and located in the Cougareat on the Wilkinson Student Center, Choices is a BYU dining concept offering plant-forward, low-impact meals: flavorful, nutritious protein bowls in compostable packaging. Its vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-friendly options make it a top-seller on campus. A second location operates from the Missionary Training Center, adjacent to BYU.
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?:
A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
An audit conducted by then BYU dining services director Dean Wright found that more than a quarter of food purchased by BYU was sourced locally, defined as a 250-mile radius. This includes product from a dairy owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU’s sponsoring institution, exclusively for welfare and self-reliance programs. The dairy in Elberta, Utah, sits just 30 miles from BYU.
Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
In the Cannon Center, BYU’s primary dining hall, entree stations are located along perimeter walls, while fruit and salad bars maintain a prominent, central position, serving as a hub. Veggie burgers are available upon request. Tofu and other meat alternatives are served regularly. An allergy-free dining station was introduced in 2024.
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?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
BYU Sustainability and BYU Dining Services partner on educational efforts throughout the year. In BYU’s main dining hall, the Cannon Center, customers are informed of low-impact food choices and sustainable practices through print and digital billboards, tabletop advertisements, and large printouts on easels. These easels can also be found in the dining hall of the Missionary Training Center, adjacent to and managed by BYU, serving approximately 1,000 missionaries per meal. The campaign is called “Eat, Act, Think” and focuses on sustainability, health, and wellness.
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?:
A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
BYU Dining Services recovers food waste by partnering with BYU Recycling and Grounds. Pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste is funneled through a series of chutes and pipes to one of BYU’s industrial pulpers, collected by Recycling, and turned into a nutrient-rich mulch for BYU’s landscaping. About 2,000 tons of mulch are produced on campus every year.
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?:
A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
After a successful pilot program, BYU Dining Services eliminated trays altogether from the Cannon Center and the Cougareat, resulting in approximately 29 percent less waste per person per meal. Smaller portions are served to encourage diners to eat what they take.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
A brief description of the food donation program:
Careful planning, trayless dining, and portion control have helped BYU minimize waste at the source. When leftovers remain, such as prepared meals and perishable packaged meals, they are offered to dining and vending staff, primarily students and their families. Other perishables are stored on site in employee fridges. In the past, BYU has also partnered with Food and Care Coalition, a local food bank and homeless resource center, and Community Action Services and Food Bank.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Cooking oil is collected from the Cannon Center every few days by a third-party recycler, but most of BYU's food waste is transformed into compost used on campus. (See "Composting" below.)
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
BYU's kitchen pulpers grind up leftover organics, such as rinds and stems, and extract the moisture to produce a dry pulp that is used to enrich BYU’s topsoil. The capacity of these pulpers ranges from 250 pounds per hour at the Heritage Central Building to 2,000 pounds per hour at the Culinary Support Center, a food processing center that makes it possible for BYU to feed 40,000 people per day. These pulpers reduce the volume of organic waste by 80 percent. In 2019, the Missionary Training Center purchased a new pulping system that is 25 percent more energy efficient and uses only one-fourth of the water used by previous models.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
BYU’s post-consumer composting program relies on the same pulpers as its pre-consumer composting program, but with additional collection points for food waste, including the Pendulum Café and the Life Sciences Greenhouse. These pulpers keep organic materials out landfills, preven methane emissions, and reduce the costs and emissions of transporting food waste. They use less water than traditional disposal systems. And they contribute organic material that is composted to create topsoil for campus landscaping.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
BYU’s dining halls and catering services feature reusable dinnerware, cutlery, and glasses.
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)?:
A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
Reusable takeout boxes were offered in 25 campus locations until the covid-19 pandemic. Currently, Choices—a popular, healthy dining option in the Wilkinson Student Center—features fully compostable to-go containers. Other campus units, such as the Ballard Center for Social Impact and the Sustainability Office, use compostale containers for many of their catered events, and they collect the food waste for composting. The Sustainability Office also offers colorful, reusable sporks as free giveaways at student events.
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?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
The following campus leadership groups are shaping action and policy around sustainable dining at BYU:
- The Sustainable Dining Committee comprises staff and faculty. To date, they have researched and implemented trayless dining initiatives, Styrofoam alternatives for to-go containers, locally sourced foods purchased by BYU, food insecurity, and campus pantry programs.
- The Law School's Environment, Energy, and Resources Society is committed to fostering environmental stewardship. Its members—students and faculty—have brought proposals to the dean's office that include minimizing food packaging and selecting lunch vendors with low-waste options.
- The Dean of Students Office provides resources for food insecurity.
- The Wellness Wise Committee leads health and wellness initiatives at BYU.
The following student clubs are engaged in similar issues at BYU:
- Food Insecurity Club
- Plant-based Club
- Student Sustainability Initiative
- BYUSA's Student Advisory Council
- Ballard Center Social Impact Association
- BYU Public Health Association
- Diabetes Club
- Fight Malnutrition
- Nutritional Science Club
Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.