Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.75
Liaison Josh Lasky
Submission Date Feb. 23, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

George Washington University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 2.00 Meghan Chapple
Director of Sustainability, Senior Advisor on University Sustainability Initiatives
Office of 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:
For GW's 2016 fiscal year, the university worked with Sodexo. We are providing data on Sodexo to show continuity from the prior year's 2017 STARS snapshot. GW added a new on-campus food service provider Restaurant Associates in the 2017. Currently, GW offers an open dining program, allowing students to enjoy more than 100 dining partners across the campus and neighborhood area in downtown Washington, DC. When working with GW, Sodexo had a published sustainability policy.

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:
N/A

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 GroW Community, a student organization that manages the GroW Garden and cultivates dialogue on campus about food, facilitates Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for students. The CSAs are distributed through Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, a non-profit farmer’s cooperative based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Shares are delivered for pick-up weekly. Students participating in the CSA share program can use their credit, debit, or university dining dollars to support sustainable consumption. Since Fall 2013, the GroW Garden has been collaborating monthly with the neighborhood FRESHFARM Farmers' Market to promote the garden and the benefits of urban gardening at the market. At Farmers' Markets in Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle, students can pay with their dining dollars. Students can also use dining dollars to purchase tokens that are accepted by eight other Farmers' Market locations across the city. The FRESHFARM Foggy Bottom Market is conveniently located right on campus. Students, staff, and faculty can take a break from work or make a stop on the way home to talk with farmers and select from the best of the region's lush bounty of offerings. This market offers conventional and certified organic fruits and vegetables, pastured eggs, organic and grass-fed meats, small batch charcuterie, farmstead goat cheeses and yogurt, sweet and savory baked goods, ice cream, cold-pressed juices, hand-made pasta and sauces, jams and jellies, crab cakes, empanadas, soups, flatbreads, paella, and more. In December 2017, the GW Student Association announced a pilot program partnering with Hungry Harvest, an organization that takes leftover or unwanted produce that couldn’t be shelved at a supermarket, and sells it for a discounted price. The goal of this program is to help address food insecurity within the GW student body on campus.

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:
GW dining partners provide variety for students who keep a vegan diet. Additionally, there is a vegetarian dining social media account that helps promote vegan friendly dining partners and to guide students through the options. A Dining Rep manages a social media account and also hosts monthly events on vegetarianism.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
GW students can use their dining dollars at a variety of sustainable providers on campus including Whole Foods, Beefsteak, and Sweetgreen, to name a few.

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:
In September 2015, the university established the GW Food Institute — a home for students and faculty engaged in research about things related to food, from sustainable agriculture to the way diet and meals shape society. Research projects focus on everything from food worker safety to school meal reform to sustainable diets and more. The Institute is also a hub for student resources including food-related courses, a variety of volunteer opportunities and other resources.

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:
GW offers an open dining program, allowing students to enjoy more than 100 dining partners across the Foggy Bottom, DC area. There are Dining Reps who provide resources for students who have specific dining needs, including Kosher, Halal, and Gluten Free, as well as for students who live on the Mount Vernon campus and are interested in guidance for making dining choices in that location. GW also offers many heart-healthy initiatives, cultural highlights, and individualized cultural pop-up eating experiences.

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:
GW provides pre-consumer compost at Mount Vernon's Pelham Commons, the dining hall for freshmen. All food vendor establishments at District House participate in GW's food and coffee waste diversion programs. GW also began a food and coffee waste diversion program at two Starbucks locations on campus, and Carvings and Tonic Restaurants, all of which are a part of the GW dining dollars program.

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?:
No

A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
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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:
Student members and other volunteers for the GW Chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN) collect prepared food donations from events and venues across campus. Additionally, uneaten prepared foods from campus events can be donated to the Store that provides food to hungry students anonymously.

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:
Pelham Commons on Mount Vernon Campus participates in a back-of-house food waste diversion program. All food waste generated by kitchen staff are collected and composted at Maryland Environmental Service.

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:
GW composts at designated events, usually in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability. These include large catered events and sporting concessions. As part of GW's Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy, GW began piloting post-consumer composting at the Pelham Commons dining facility in the spring semester of 2013. GW collaborated with Sodexo in FY16 and student organizations to provide the necessary training and education to ensure that staff and students are effectively composting. GW has pre-consumer compost collection on the main Foggy Bottom campus. The Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Campaign GW and GW Zero Waste, run a food waste drop-off pilot program called Colonial Composting. Under this program, student staff members and a team of dedicated volunteers oversee a drop off site in Mid-Campus Quad once a week. Volunteers check in participants, collect and sort through compostable material, and share information about the wide array of sustainable initiatives happening on campus. The primary goals of this pilot program are to provide a new option for composting that is accessible to both students and staff members in the GW community, to evaluate the feasibility of a composting drop-off program on campus, and to increase the visibility of sustainability at GW. We hope that this program will begin to change the way our community at GW thinks about food waste and sustainability as a whole.

Dine-In Service Ware 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
No

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Reusable serviceware is not used in Pelham Commons, the dining hall on the Mount Vernon Campus. Serviceware is compostable, not reusable.

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:
The primary dining services contractor for Mount Vernon Campus provides third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals

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:
N/A

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:
Through the Eco Rep program, students serve as green leaders in their residence halls and across campus. Eco Reps provide a link to the student body, helping to organize and encourage participation in initiatives. One of the Eco Reps’ current initiatives is a campaign to raise awareness about the waste created by using disposable forks, knives, and spoons and provide a reusable option for students.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://dining.gwu.edu/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://sustainability.gwu.edu/colonial-composting-pilot-program

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.