Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.53
Liaison Andrew DeMelia
Submission Date June 6, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Bryant University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 2.00 Shawn Monaghan
General Manager
Dining Services
"---" 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:
Sodexo has published a sustainability policy as part of its "Better Tomorrow Plan" that includes specific criteria to support the procurement of environmentally and socially preferable food and beverage products available at: https://www.sodexo.com/files/live/sites/sdxcom-global/files/PDF/Corporate-responsibility/Sodexo-fiscal2016-RSE-report.pdf

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
No

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
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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:
Sodexo, in conjunction with the University's Sustainability Committee, cohosts a farmers' market twice a year. In addition, Sodexo supports sustainable fisheries with the "Red's Best" program, https://www.redsbest.com/redsbest/

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:
There is a station dedicated solely to vegan and vegetarian meals. Protein is available at all meals. Vegan options exist at multiple locations throughout the dining hall. Every day there is a vegan entrée, a vegan burger, roasted vegetables and humus. There is also a self-serve sauté area; and when preparing dishes to order, they can be modified into vegan meals.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
No

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
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Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
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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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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:
Locally sourced food is labeled in the dining halls (local apples for example). There is also material on waste diversion to a local pig farm.

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:
A registered dietician is involved in sustainability and/or healthy eating events sponsored on campus, as well as available for individual consultations and educational sessions.

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:
Sodexo provides funding for Bryant's Health and Wellness initiatives, such as Wellness Wednesdays (education and healthy eating). Cultural diversity is evident in Sodexo's meal offerings, and food stations include an international/stir fry station and noodle bowl section.

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:
Sodexo participates in the "Weigh the Waste" food waste education and prevention event in the dining hall with results posted on social media.

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:
The dining hall has gone completely trayless.

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:
Food is donated to the local food bank at each semester's shutdown.

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:
All food waste is picked up by a local pig farm - My Blue Heaven Farm. All used cooking oil is picked up by Newport Biodiesel and recycled into clean-burning fuel.

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:
---

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:
---

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:
China, silverware and glasses are used in the dining hall.

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:
The faculty/staff dining room provides biodegradable cups and to-go containers to its customers.

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:
Reusable coffee mugs are available at retail establishments with discounted refills.

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)?:
Yes

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
The dining service avoids the purchase of single-pack products and utilizes bulk pack items with dispensers.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://www.redsbest.com/redsbest/

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.