Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.10
Liaison Ciara Tennis
Submission Date Jan. 11, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Eastern Connecticut State University
OP-7: Low Impact Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 3.00 Laura Miller
Energy Technical Specialist
Institute for Sustainable Energy
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Percentage of total dining services food purchases comprised of conventionally produced animal products:
30

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A brief description of the methodology used to track/inventory expenditures on animal products:
Chartwells produces annual reports that take into account goals for increasing the amount of sustainable animal products being purchased. The report can be found here: http://issuu.com/becompass/docs/sustainability_platform_v5?e=0/12420280

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Does the institution offer diverse, complete-protein vegan dining options at all meals in at least one dining facility on campus?:
Yes

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Does the institution provide labels and/or signage that distinguishes between vegan, vegetarian (not vegan), and other items?:
Yes

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Are the vegan options accessible to all members of the campus community?:
Yes

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A brief description of the vegan dining program, including availability, sample menus, signage and any promotional activities (e.g. “Meatless Mondays”):
Chartwells offers a component within the dining hall known as Tere Ve which is a vegetarian concept. This has been in existence since 2010 and brings a variety of meat free dishes to students. http://www.eatlearnlive.com/Eat_Nourish_the_Body_CHE.cfm The dining hall also features meatless Monday's throughout the semester which are promoted through Facebook, and in dining hall signage.

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A brief description of other efforts the institution has made to reduce the impact of its animal-derived food purchases:
Chartwells purchases 100% certified seafood, cage-free shell eggs, grass-fed beef, rBGH free milk and chicken, turkey and pork produced without the routine use of antibiotics. Chartwells offers Fair Trade Certified sustainable coffee on many campuses. We are committed to purchasing locally grown and organic produce whenever possible in support of local communities. Our Balanced U Sustainability approach addresses four basic tenets of sustainable and socially responsible business practices: Eat Green, Build Green, Run Green, and Return Green. These practices include such programs as tray less dining service and Project Clean Plate, which promotes food waste awareness. Trim Trax tracks, measures and reduces kitchen waste. We use biodegradable consumer food packaging, plates, and utensils made from compostable materials such as bamboo and corn byproducts. We provide reusable food and beverage containers as well as reusable shopping bags. Many of our campus vans run on bio-diesel fuel, and we encourage facilities to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Chartwells' commitment to sustainability is further strengthened by the commitments and global resources of its parent company, Compass Group North America. Read more here. http://compass-usa.com/Pages/Sustainability.aspx

The website URL where information about the vegan dining program is available:
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Annual dining services expenditures on food:
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Annual dining services expenditures on conventionally produced animal products:
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Annual dining services expenditures on sustainably produced animal products:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This information was verified by meeting with Jason Coombs on 8/4/15. Another dining link has been added here: http://www1.easternct.edu/sustainability/dinning-and-dorms/

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.