Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.74
Liaison Jennifer Lamy
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Emerson College
IN-24: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Amy Elvidge
Sustainability Coordinator
Campus Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Emerson College Food Cam

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

The Emerson College Food Cam is an easily accessible space in our Campus Center to share leftover food with Emerson community members. The Food Cam is open from Monday to Friday from 10am until 1pm for staff, faculty and students to donate food to, and for anyone with an Emerson ID card to take food from. The Food Cam is a counter with a camera above it. Donors can drop off food, press a button, and an image of the donated food is shared on Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and Slack via @EmersonFoodCam. The Food Cam is continuously monitored through a live stream by the Sustainability Office and Eco Rep student employees compost leftover food thirty minutes after each donation.

The Food Cam is located in the Campus Center which holds many of our catered events and is an un-stigmatized space to collect a free snack from. The Food Cam is actively marketed to students on a budget by the Office of Students Success and the Office of Off-Campus Student Services.

Since the Food Cam was launched in September 2017, the rate of food waste from catered events has shifted significantly downwards. The Food Cam is quoted as being a “life saver” for off-campus students without a meal plan who are hungry between classes. The Food Cam is a program that benefits students, staff and faculty and brings together different groups that would not typically participate in environmental initiatives. The Food Cam addresses Emerson’s strategic pillars of civic engagement, innovation, and financial strength as a food waste minimization solution that benefits the community, uses technology, and reduces disposal costs.


Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Campus Engagement
Food & Dining
Diversity & Affordability

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6932t4h08y00281/Food%20Cam%20Version%203.mov?dl=0

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

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.