Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.09
Liaison Lissette Hernandez
Submission Date Aug. 22, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Florida International University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.13 / 2.00 Alexandra Dutton
Program Manager
Office of University 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:
FIU's dining services contractor, Aramark, has made public sustainability commitments at the corporate level, which carry down to the institutional level. Sourcing products responsibly -- in a way that minimizes impacts to people, animals and the environment -- has a direct affect on our local and global economies, our health and wellness, and the environment. We work closely with our suppliers and our clients to provide options to meet a variety of sustainability objectives. We buy locally sourced fruits and vegetables, humanely-raised meats and sustainably caught seafood. And our efforts extend to products like fair-trade certified coffee, and reusable, recyclable and compostable plates, cups, cutlery and paper products. Working with our suppliers, we’ve taken important steps on responsible sourcing: Locally Sourced - We are committed to purchasing local produce, grown within 250 miles of our locations. Humanely Raised - With policies for purchasing cage-free eggs, group-housed pork and other foods, we address animal welfare concerns. Sustainable Seafood - We are committed to meeting our goal to source 100% sustainable seafood. The website addresses those there main areas in more detail. http://www.aramark.com/responsibility/environmental-sustainability/responsible-sourcing

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:
A weekly student-run farmers market is held during the Fall and Spring semesters. The market brings together local farmers, small local businesses, and sustainability-themed student groups.

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:
In the main campus cafeteria, vegan options are available on a daily basis. There is a Fresh Bowl station specifically designed for vegan & vegetarians to build their meals as they choose. The Fresh Foods Co. also offers a vegan hummus wrap at the deli station upon request as well as a full protein salad bar. Directly outside the dining area vegan /vegetarian options are shown at the display table. At the entrance signage is posted to encourage customers with dietary needs or request to consult with the dining manager.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
No

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
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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?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
The Office of University Sustainability partnered with Aramark to host monthly tabling outreach events in the main campus cafeteria in Fall 2016. Each month had a different sustainability dining theme such as, sustainable seafood, Fair Trade, composting, and World Food Day. Students coming into the cafeteria had a chance to stop by the table to learn more, play games, and win prizes.

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)?:
No

A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
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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?:
No

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
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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:
Since 2008, FIU dining areas have been trayless. An Aramark study of 186,000 meals at 25 colleges and universities found a 25% - 30% reduction in food waste per person on trayless days. Other benefits include saving one-third to one-half gallon of water per tray. Reducing chemicals, detergents and drying agents used to wash trays. Lastly conserving energy by eliminating the need to heat water for tray washing.

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:
The goal is to have zero waste and left-overs from Aramark Panther Dining operations. They try to achieve this through using unused portions in other recipes & using a food waste auditing program. They currently do not produce a sufficient amount of food waste to donate to a homeless shelter on a weekly basis. Dry goods and fresh produce are donated at the end of the semester when inventory is being cleared for winter/summer break. Panther Dining has developed a relationship with Miami Rescue Mission and Chapman Homeless Shelters who benefit from our food donations.

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:
Fresh Food Company, Faculty Club & Panther Catering composts their pre-consumer food waste and coffee grounds at the organic garden on campus. The composting program is possible with the help of partners, Aramark Grounds, Agroecology Program at FIU, and Garden Club. This effort has kept over nineteen tons of vegetative waste and coffee grounds out of the landfill and has helped supply the organic garden on campus with enough soil to expand their garden ¼ acre with tropical fruit trees and has kept them from outsourcing their soil for a year. The produce grown from the soil Panther Dining helped produce is sold to the local FIU community through the weekly farmer’s market. The compost area has also been a tool for workshops and tours to educate students, faculty and staff on how composting works and how it can be imitated at home.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
No

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
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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 dine-in meals are served with plates, cups, and utensils that are washed and reused.

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:
Currently FIU has a mandatory reusable to-go container program for students in the residence halls dining program at the Fresh Food Company, plus an optional program at Grilleworks and Pollo Tropical. Any customer can receive a reusable to-go container with a $4 refundable deposit. Once used the container can be returned at Fresh Food Company, Pollo Tropical or GrilleWorks, without having to be clean. Dining services will do the sanitizing. Upon returning, customers can then choose between a container card that can be redeemed for a container in the future or they can get a clean reusable container. The refundable deposit is returned when the container in brought to the Fresh Food Company in usable condition at the end of the year.

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?:
No

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
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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:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.