Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 42.65
Liaison Winnie Kwofie
Submission Date April 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California State University, East Bay
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 2.00 Debbie Meyer
General Manager
Pioneer Dining
"---" 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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
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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:
The Cal State East Bay Farmer's Market occurs 3 times per semester (6 total) throughout the Academic Year. Farmer's Markets are organized by Aramark and Student Health & Wellness Services. Produce is supplied by vendors approved by Aramark and is sold to the campus community at a discounted rate. Various campus organizations and community partners setup tables and share related information, such as how to eat seasonally or the environmental value of a plant-based diet.

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 four week menu cycle and every meal period has a vegan option. Suggested Vegan Menu Items • Bean Burrito How to order it: No cheese, add potatoes & rice. Try guacamole on the side. Or, you can say, “Fresco Style,” which means they remove the cheese & sauce and replace it with pico de gallo—yum! Try it with black beans. • Seven-Layer Burrito How to order it: Remove the sour cream and cheese, add pico de gallo. Add red sauce for a spicy kick. • Taco Salad How to order it: Substitute beef for beans (they don’t charge for this, woo!), remove the sour cream & cheese, and add rice, potatoes, guacamole and red sauce. • Mexican Pizza How to order it: OK, this one can be a bit trickier. Substitute beef for beans & remove the cheese. • Fresco Bean Burrito • Veggie Cantina Burrito How to order: Remove the Cilantro Dressing. • Veggie Cantina Bowl How to order: Remove the Cilantro Dressing. Suggested Vegan Menu Items • Veggie Delight - no sauce, no cheese • Apple Slices • Italian Bread • Wheat Bread • Classic Lays Suggested Vegan Menu Items • Veg out - substitute Hummus for Cream Cheese and signature sauce

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:
"Meatless Monday began in 2003, an international movement to help people reduce their meat consumption by 15% to improve personal health and the health of the planet. Monday is the beginning of the week, making it the perfect time to reevaluate our choices and set our intentions for the coming days. The occasional meatless meal can also help cut your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel." http://www.csueastbay.edu/sustainability/operations/dining.html

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?:
No

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

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
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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:
To-Go container program: Currently 11% of our housing students utilizes the program. Recycling and Compost: 129,400 pounds of waste have been recycled and/or composted in the 2013-14 school year. Humane Society of the United States of America: Partnership to eliminate all pork from animals bred using gestation crates in our supply chain by 2017. Green Cleaning: To support sustainable practices Ecolab Green Chemicals are used. Cage-free: Cage-free eggs are used for whole egg menu selections. Compliance: Monterey Bay Seafood Watch list is taken into consideration in all campus dining. Vegan & Vegetarian: Vegan & Vegetarian options are offered at all locations on campus. http://www.csueastbay.edu/sustainability/operations/dining.html https://csueastbay.campusdish.com/Sustainability.aspx

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:
Food production management system "PRIMA". They have cycle menus and calculate everything to avoid waste. They have electronic dates for food that could spoil. ServeSafe National food standards.

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:
All locations are trayless. At the dining commons reusable containers are used for late night dining and take out option. We offer discounts within retail for reusable cup use. We are in the process of using LeanPath technology to reduce food waste.

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:
There is a small program in which foods that are still within the spoilage date are frozen and distributed. Students can donate unused meal passes to the dining commons, and Aramark then uses those savings to purchase food to donate to Alameda County. Hosts of catered events with leftover food may send a text alert through the Helping Our Pioneers Excel (HOPE) program.

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)?:
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:
Comprehensive separation of pre-consumer organic waste in the Dining Commons kitchen, the only dining hall on campus.

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:
Cal State East Bay contracts with Waste Management to haul all compost from campus via regular waste hauling for landfill and compost items (pre- and post-consumer from Dining and landscaping waste).

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:
Campus dining commons uses reusable dining serviceware and recycled paper napkins.

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:
All on-campus residents are given a reusable clam shell container that may be used when taking a meal from the Dining Commons. Residents that participate in late-night dining may only take items from the Dining Commons in their reusable container, no disposable containers are available. There is a rain check program for the Dining Commons, in which students and faculty can receive a rain check card for reusable to-go dining containers that are then returned and sanitized.

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:
The Starbucks and Einstein Bagels franchises on-campus give a discount when a patron brings in their own reusable mug/cup.

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:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
More information from Aramark can be found in the following link: http://www.aramark.com/responsibility#environmentalsustainability

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.