Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 63.54
Liaison Carly Thibodeau
Submission Date Aug. 8, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Endicott College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Meghan Wrenn
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability
"---" 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:
Sodexo at Endicott College prioritizes sustainable practices as part of their Better Tomorrow Plan: For your health and for the planet. The plan includes nine commitments, such as one to source responsibly and provide management services that reduce carbon emissions. The other commitments can be found at https://www.sodexousa.com/home/corporate-responsibility.html.

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:
Students and staff manage raised garden beds on campus where they tend to the garden and harvest produce, including tomatoes, kale, lettuce, cucumbers, garlic, carrots, beets, peas, radishes, sage, basil, cilantro, parsley, and rosemary. Sodexo staff use vegetables and herbs from the garden in the main dining hall and for catering during special events.

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 College is partnering with a local organization/farm that has a CSA to host on campus and promote for faculty, staff, and students. The Farm is based in Beverly only a few miles from campus and we are working towards having students intern at farm as well.

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:
Vegan options are available daily at every meal in the dining hall and at each cafe on campus.

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:
Multiple times a year, Sodexo and the Office of Sustainability partner to put on "Show the Waste" events in the main dining hall. The event involves displaying all uneaten or wasted food on a table in the entrance of the dining hall as students walk in for their meal. There is also signage explaining the problem of food waste and some helpful tips to reduce it. The dining hall also serves meatless Beyond burgers and has been highlighting at dinners.

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:
Sodexo hosts multiple Zero Waste BBQ's annually for the entire student population. All waste generated at the event is compostable or recyclable. For our Earth Day celebration Sodexo in partnership with the Office of Sustainability put together a special local menu and sourced all food locally. Restaurant at wedding venue on campus run by hospitality program has dinners throughout the year that are all farm to table in partnership with local farms.

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:
Sodexo recently opened a natural! outlet on campus, which offers fruit smoothies and snacks throughout the day made with real fruit and no added sugar, water, flavors or colors. The goal of the outlet is to provide a natural and nutritious option for the community, including vegetarian and vegan guests as well as those with soy and dairy sensitivities. All of the food waste generated at natural! is composted, and all serviceware used is compostable.

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:
- Multiple boards and signs around the dining hall show or list the local sources where the food is coming from, including a map that students walk by as they leave. - Napkin holders are used for sustainability information including event information, healthy dining options, recycling and composting. - There are TV screens in the dining hall and throughout campus that promote healthy food options under the "Mindful" campaign. - One wall in the dining hall is managed by the Office of Sustainability and displays sustainable tips, schedules of sustainability events, etc.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
Hospitality program engages in educational outreach and incorporates into curriculum. This is also supported through outreach from Office of Sustainability and Sodexo through: - Multiple boards and signs around the dining hall show or list the local sources where the food is coming from, including a map that students walk by as they leave. - Napkin holders are used for sustainability information including event information, healthy dining options, recycling and composting. - There are TV screens in the dining hall and throughout campus that promote healthy food options under the "Mindful" campaign. - One wall in the dining hall is managed by the Office of Sustainability and displays sustainable tips, schedules of sustainability events, etc.

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:
"Mindful" is an approach, certification, and campaign by Sodexo to provide healthy and nutritious foods. Their chefs and registered dietitians have worked together to create recipes that focus on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in messaging so that making "mindful" choices becomes second nature to guests and students. Sodexo has also hosted various chiefs from partner institutions world-wide to highlight global cuisine. They also have specifically themed cultural days that highlight traditional meals from across the globe.

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:
Endicott participates in RecycleMania every year, which includes metrics for food waste diversion, prevention, and donation. The goal is to improve these efforts each year and place higher in the competition by following the U.S. EPA's Food Recovery Hierarchy. The College also monitors and collects this data annually.

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:
Dining has been trayless since Spring of 2010, which has reduced food waste on campus by 30%.

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:
An estimated 50 lbs of leftover food from the dining hall is donated to the Riverhouse homeless shelter each day, totaling 350 lbs per week. During the College's move-out donation program that is run every year, non-perishable food items are collected from every residence hall and donated to local shelters and organizations.

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:
Food waste on campus is sent to anaerobic digestion facility. Cooking oil is collected in tanks by a company who uses it for biofuel.

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:
Pre-consumer food waste is collected in the kitchen of the dining hall in lined toter carts, which is then combined with post-consumer food waste. Since the creation of the compost program, pre-consumer collection has expanded to all satellite cafes and dining locations on campus. All toters are picked up by a food waste hauling company and sent for composting. During the school year, 4.7 tons of food waste are diverted each week.

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 post-consumer food waste generated in the dining hall is collected for composting. Visitors to the dining hall place their used plates and dishes on a conveyor belt, and dining hall employees scrape the plates into lined toter carts.

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:
All plates and utensils in the dining hall are reusable. There are no disposable cups, plates or utensils used in the dining hall unless students request it.

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:
Students can purchase a reusable to-go container for a modest fee. After use, they can return the dirty container to the dining hall for cleaning and exchange it for a clean one. This program is widely used on campus.

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:
A 20 cent discount is offered at each cafe on campus if you bring a re-usable mug. Einstein Bros. Bagels offers a $1 discount to students and staff who use a reusable Einstein's to-go mug which are available for purchase at the chain.

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:
-Students have the option to ask for smaller portion sizes or only choose one item that is displayed as part of a meal -Implemented the option for student groups to request compostable materials/serviceware and a compost bag when ordering catering for events

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

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.