Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.69
Liaison Stephanie MacPhee
Submission Date April 6, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Dalhousie University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" 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:
Dalhousie released a Sustainable and Healthy Food Framework in 2016. The framework is a comprehensive review of the actions to date on sustainable food procurement and operations, and a roadmap for further work. The framework considers social, personal and ethical responsibility; education; ecological responsibility; and local economics and agricultural support. It covers procurement, preparation, operation, and end use. The framework can be found here: https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/dept/sustainability/Sustainability%20Health%20Food%20Report%202016%20Final%20Report%20(1).pdf Aramark has committed to a sustainable seafood policy that incorporates ocean health, ethical labour, transparency, and a renewable seafood industry. In addition to a purchasing policy, they commit to education and tracking of sustainable seafood purchases. The policy can be found here: http://www.aramark.com/files/seafood-principles-policy

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
Yes

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
The Chef's Garden on Dalhousie's Agricultural Campus provides produce to the Agricultural Campus dining services and a portion of the produce used in Food Services on the Halifax Campus. It is a 1.1 acre plot that follows organic farming principles. In 2016, the farm produced 16,833 lbs of food, valued at approximately $13,000. More information about the Chef's Garden can be found here: https://www.dal.ca/about-dal/agricultural-campus/about/gardens/chefs-garden.html

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 Dalhousie Student Union Farmers' Market runs twice a week out of the student union building during the Fall and Winter semesters. The market also offers a food box/CSA program in two box sizes. More information about the market can be found here: http://www.dsumarket.ca/ The Dalhousie Urban Garden is a student society that advocates for food security and encourages students to grow their own food. The group has a small urban plot on the Halifax campus. See their website here: https://dalurbangarden.com/

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:
Aramark: Each of the four dining hall offers a complete hot vegan/vegetarian menu item at each meal. Samples of the Comfort Zone vegan/vegetarian options are: White Kidney Bean Curry, Lentil Stuffed Peppers, Eggplant Lentil Moussaka, Stir Fry Veg & Tofu Kung Pao, Middle Eastern Chickpeas Spinach, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili, and more. Signage is also available identifying No Gluten, Vegan, and Vegetarian. Chartwells: Flexitarian dining options available at all times. Regular dining promotions are done throughout the year based on seasonal locally produced items with the health benefits of eating a vegan diet and eating a proper vegan diet. Logos are printed on dinning menus.

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:
Aramark: Vegetarian and vegan items are showcased on Mondays in the spirit of Meatless Monday, though meat options are still available. Chartwells: Holds Meatless Mondays, Flexitarian Fridays, and vegan theme stations.

Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Aramark: Aramark holds a local harvest week where locally sourced food is highlighted and featured in dishes. There is also a Chef's Garden Feature Day showcasing the produce harvested from the campus farm on the Agricultural Campus. "Who's your farmer?" showcases specific farms and the food they provide from the region. Chartwells: Produce served from on-campus farm is continuously showcased in dining and catering.

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:
Aramark uses window clings to identify the following meal types: 100% local, local ingredients, no gluten, sustainable seafood, vegetarian, and vegan. See here: https://dal.campusdish.com/Sustainability/DINEDal.aspx There is also signage for Fair Trade coffee, tea, and/or chocolate. Chartwells prints logos for vegetarian and vegan options and has a special logo for the on-campus 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?:
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:
Aramark regularly incorporates cultural dishes into the menu and also hosts different ethnic food nights. Health and Wellness are a central part of programming. An onsite dietitian helps plan and review menus and is available to meet one-on-one with students to address their personal nutritional health plans. They also have a labeling system called 'Get the Good Stuff' so consumers can easily identify healthy food choices. Chartwells has monthly superfood offerings with information, monthly nutrigrams (posted nutritional information), international menu features, world flavors monthly events, and World Harmony events. Dining services on the Agricultural Campus participate in a Chartwells program called Clean Plate, which aims to make residents aware of hunger and food waste. Participants estimate the amount of food they waste each week and set that amount as their benchmark for reducing waste. During the next four weeks, as participants reduce their food waste, that waste is translated into a dollar amount and turned into a monetary donation to a local shelter or campus food bank.

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:
Aramark uses the LeanPath food waste prevention program. Staff weight and record pre-consumer food waste daily. This increases awareness about the amount of food waste and helps identify areas for improvement. See more here: http://www.leanpath.com/ Chartwells uses the Trim Trax program to track pre-consumer food waste, including production scraps and expired food.

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:
In 2008, all residence dining halls managed by Aramark removed the serving trays and went "trayless". This has eliminated the washing of 4,100 trays per day, or, 900,000 trays per year. Annually, it will save 870,655 litres of water and the associated energy needed to heat it, as well as reduce the use of washing chemicals. Chartwells dining has been trayless for a number of years.

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:
Excess food gets donated to a local soup kitchen called 'Hope Cottage.' Food is donated in the event of a storm or a cancelled catering event, and there are efforts to donate food regularly. Aramark staff also volunteer at Hope Cottage. Hope Cottage: https://www.hopecottage.ca/

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:
Cooking oil is collected at all food service locations in Halifax and Truro. The oil is in used in the production of soap and animal feed.

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:
Food Services are provided with green organics carts to collect loose pre-consumer food waste. The carts are picked up daily by grounds staff. Material is trucked to Ragged Lake compost facility (HRM composting facility) 15 km from the university. On the AC, compost is trucked to the Colchester Composting Facility, roughly 20 km for campus. http://www.dal.ca/dept/sustainability/programs/waste/composting.html

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:
Composting is standard across campus, including in dining halls and food service areas. Organics from public bins are brought to the grounds warehouse, sorted to remove contaminants, and repacked into green carts. Material is trucked to Ragged Lake compost facility (HRM composting facility) 15 km from the university. On the AC, compost is trucked to the Colchester Composting Facility, roughly 20 km for campus. http://www.dal.ca/dept/sustainability/programs/waste/composting.html

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:
Reusable dishware and cutlery is provided in residence dining halls.

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:
Fibre-based to go containers are provided in some food retail locations and are the recommended disposable to-go option. Aramark catering uses compostable plates, cups, and bowls (though compostable cups are not accepted in our local facility) as well as compostable birch forks and knives.

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:
There are 10-20 cent discounts for bringing your own mug at all food retail vendors on Dalhousie campuses. Aramark holds a Reusable Mug Day where customers can get a free cup of coffee/tea if they bring their own mug to a food retail location on campus.

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 Office of Sustainability has worked with the various food service providers on campus to reduce and manage packaging waste. Staff performed an audit of the packaging material used by each food retail vendor and made specific recommendations for improvement. Some positive changes include plastic glove recycling, bulk baked goods instead of individually wrapped items, more bulk dispensers, and an ask-first policy for plastic bags at Subway. The result of this work are Food Service Ware Procurement Guidelines for each campus that are informed by municipal sorting guidelines. The Halifax copy can be found here: https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/dept/sustainability/Waste/Food%20Service%20Ware%20Procurement%20Guidelines_Halifax.pdf The Office of Sustainability also worked with catering to tackle disposable service ware and materials sorting, beginning with several multi-stakeholder meetings to lay out challenges and gain commitments for sustainable initiatives. Successes to date include establishing roles & responsibilities re: waste sorting following catered events, introducing birch cutlery for the main campus caterer, and creating sorting signage to display at catered events with disposable service.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://dal.campusdish.com/Sustainability/WhatWeAreDoing.aspx

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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