Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	68.02
Liaison	Maxine Dandois-Fafard
Submission Date	Nov. 10, 2023

STARS v2.2

Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.43 / 2.00	Maxine Dandois-Fafard Sustainable Development Officer Scientific Direction

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Sustainable dining initiatives

Local community engagement

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, 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:

Laval and Quebec City campuses serve as drop-off spots for locally sourced organic vegetables and fruit basket. This initiative encourages INRS members to consume in a more equitable manner.

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?:

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:

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Inclusive and local sourcing

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor support disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its food and beverage purchasing?:

Yes

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:

The INRS Guide to Organizing Responsible Events (https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Guide-Evenements-Socio-Ecoresponsables-INRS-01-2023-1.pdf) is designed to help the INRS community minimize its social and environmental footprint. In addition to guiding organizers towards choices and actions that promote the Zero Waste movement and low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the guide breaks new ground by including measures to promote accessibility and inclusion. On pg 10, in the Suppliers section, we encourage event organizers to choose a supplier that is: a) local (based in Quebec or, even better, in the region); b) committed to social or ethical sustainability, or a social economy enterprise; c) committed to environmental sustainability. We also encourage them to consider a company whose owner self-identifies as part of a minority group (systemic barriers to capital, credit and networking opportunities continue to hold back minority-led businesses).

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:

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Low-impact dining

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:

Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:

The INRS Guide to Organizing Responsible Events (https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Guide-Evenements-Socio-Ecoresponsables-INRS-01-2023-1.pdf) is designed to help the INRS community minimize its social and environmental footprint. In addition to guiding organizers towards choices and actions that promote the Zero Waste movement and low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the guide breaks new ground by including measures to promote accessibility and inclusion. On pg 10, in the Food section, we encourage event organizers to prefer meat-free meals with few dairy products to reduce the GHGs associated with food as much as possible, and to give preference to local foods. We also give a list of NPOs accepting food donations.

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:

There is only one cafeteria at INRS, at the Laval campus. The entrepreneur offers vegetarian options every day.

Labelling and signage

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labelling and signage in dining halls?:

A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:

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Part 2. Food waste minimization and recovery

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?:

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?:

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:

There is only one cafeteria at INRS, at the Laval campus. At the end of the week, if there are any sandwiches left over, an employee collects them and gives them to homeless people.
Furthermore, several tips to redistribute food surplus are given in our Responsible Events Guide (https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Guide-Evenements-Socio-Ecoresponsables-INRS-01-2023.pdf) on p. 12.

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?:

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:

Currently, in the cafeteria in Laval, there are compost bins to collect pre and post-consumption food waste. This is done through the city of Laval's composting service. Additionally, we have 2 manually managed compost bins outdoors, overseen by the students.

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:

Currently, in the cafeteria, there are compost bins to collect pre and post-consumption food waste. This is done through the city of Laval's composting service. Additionally, we have 2 manually managed compost bins outdoors, overseen by the students.

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:

The cafeteria offers reusable tableware for on-site meals (cups, bowls, plates, utensils). They recently aquired reusable take-out recipient. The vendor operates a dishwasher on-site.

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 vendor provides two options: a compostable container or a reusable compostable container. Additionally, users have the option to bring their own container for their food.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:

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Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:

There is not a single point of sale that offers bottled water on our campuses. Water fountains are scattered throughout campus. This initiative encourages the INRS community as well as visitors to use reusable bottles and helps reduce the consumption of single-use plastic.

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs 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.