Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.72
Liaison Roxane Beigel-Coryell
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

California State University, Channel Islands
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.88 / 2.00 Peter Maher
Director of Dining Services and Executive Chef
UAS - Dining 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?:
Yes

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
CSUCI's Basic Needs Program hosts farmers markets on campus several times each semester, providing fresh local produce to students at no cost.

https://www.csuci.edu/news/releases/farmers-market-sp2022.htm

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
The university's main dining hall includes a dining station called Farmer's Market that is entirely plant-based. The station features a variety of vegetarian and vegan entrees, including vegan tacos, quesadillas, grilled "cheese" sandwiches, asian stir-fry bowls, and fruit smoothies.

The university also operates a dining location called Pizza 3.14 that has been recognized with a Green Business Certification from the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance. The restaurant earned the certification by incorporating sustainable practices into its operations, such as purchasing organic produce and spices, using low flow fixtures, reducing single-use plastic items, and offering vegan menu items.

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:
CSU Channel Islands Dining Services supports disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and local small and medium-sized enterprises whenever possible. Currently, Dining Services is working with a local small business, New York Bagel Co., to procure all of the bagels for campus dining. New York Bagel Co. is a local bagel shop located just 8 miles from campus.

Dining Services also uses a local paper supplies distributor for all paper products used in dining services. Chaz Distributing is a local wholesale distribution company in Ventura County that the university has been working with for more than a decade.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
3

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:
With the expansion of Islands Cafe in Fall 2016, a dedicated "Farmers Market" station opened to provide organic, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The station is entirely plant-based, featuring a variety of vegetarian and vegan entrees, including vegan tacos, quesadillas, grilled "cheese" sandwiches, asian stir-fry bowls, and fruit smoothies.

During Earth Week 2019, the dining hall hosted "Plant-Based Meals at Islands Cafe" for two entire days, showcasing plant-based meal options.

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:
California State University Channel Islands offers a diverse, complete-protein vegan and vegetable dining option during every meal. A dedicated "Farmers Market" station provides organic, vegan, and gluten-free options at Islands Cafe. The station features a variety of vegetarian and vegan entrees, including vegan tacos, quesadillas, grilled "cheese" sandwiches, asian stir-fry bowls, and fruit smoothies.

There are also vegan salad options available at several grab and go locations throughout campus, as well as vegan menu options at the retail dining cafe.

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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
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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?:
No

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
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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:
California State University Channel Islands eliminated all trays from the Islands Café and Student Union.

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:
CSU Channel Islands Dining Services donates all day old pastries and bagels to the Dolphin Pantry, the university's food pantry. The university is also in the process of developing a system to alert students when excess catering is available after events.

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?:
No

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
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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:
Each of the food service kitchens has containers to collect pre-consumer food waste that is composted at a local facility.

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:
All dining locations on campus collect post-consumer food waste that is composted at a local composting facility.

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:
At CSUCI's Islands Cafe, diners use reusable plates, utensils, and cups rather than single-use items when dining 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:
For a one-time $5 fee, CI's Islands Cafe provides a reusable take-out container. Each time the diner returns, the diner can exchange the dirty container for a clean one.

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:
The cafes on campus offer a ten cent discount for customers who bring their own cup or mug for their drink.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
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Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
https://uas.csuci.edu/hospitality/hospitality-services.htm

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.