Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 82.81
Liaison Aaron Durnbaugh
Submission Date April 12, 2023

STARS v2.2

Loyola University Chicago
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Aaron Durnbaugh
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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:
The School of Environmental Sustainability’s Urban Agriculture program is designed to teach Loyola students about sustainable agriculture and local food system development in an urban setting. In addition to education, the program also produces food to give back to the community through a partnership with the Glenwood Sunday Market, local restaurants, and local food pantries. Urban Agriculture focuses on circular economies as well as more sustainable growing practices. While working in teams, students learn key Urban Agriculture topics, including outdoor production, sales, distribution, mushroom production, hydroponics, and aquaponics. These rotations offer knowledge about sustainable growing practices and practical skills that can be easily transferred to other jobs in related fields.

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:
Engrained is a fast-casual, quick serve restaurant designed to be an educational food experience surrounding sustainability with a focus on what Aramark is making, the ingredients used and how they are handled. Engrained Café features both vegan and vegetarian options. There is also a focus on healthier eating based on seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables and local foods when available. Aramark features local bakery products from West Town Bakery and produce from Farm Logics. In addition to a sustainable menu, the modern environment features sustainable furniture from local Chicago wood manufacturers. Engrained Café is located inside the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES) Building.

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:
Aramark’s sustainability plan strives to do right by people and the planet. This includes sourcing ethically, inclusively, and responsibly—so we increase access to economic opportunities in the communities we serve while minimizing our impact on the environment. The local sourcing conversation seeks to answer crucial questions: Which metrics are most important to the client? What products are available in the market? Who are the viable suppliers? Which local businesses are owned and operated by people from diverse backgrounds, such as black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)? How can we onboard even more local suppliers to our supply chain?

Historically, “local” was defined as food grown, raised, or caught within a certain area. It’s useful to be specific: Our company defines local to a 250-mile radius, well below the 400-mile standard established by the 2008 Farm Bill. State borders and geography can also come into play.

Aramark stands ready to innovate, leveraging our extensive data, technology, and supply chain relationships.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
12.90

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:
During the school year, Aramark’s Loyola Dining hosts multiple sustainability-focused events, such as Wipe Out Waste, Fair Trade tabling, local vendor sampling, plant-forward Chef’s Tables, and more.

Aramark has partnered with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to bring climate-friendly dishes to university campuses across the United States utilizing a program called Cool Foods Meals. Cool Foods Meals is an innovative new program from WRI that helps companies determine, badge, and market meals that are better for the climate in a way that is simple and compelling for customers. How does this work? WRI measured the carbon footprint of hundreds of Aramark’s recipes to identify items that meet Cool Food Meals criteria, based on the ingredients from farm to fork, and the land used to produce the meal. Aramark’s culinary team can now identify what recipes are considered Cool Foods and will display them on the board with the appropriate badge next to the menu item – letting students know this food item is low-impact.

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:
Loyola accommodates a wide variety of special dietary needs, including vegan dining, upon request. The two main dining halls offer vegan entrees and the sides do not include animal-derived ingredients (including milk, eggs, and dairy products). These dining halls also offer "Meatless Mondays" when more vegetarian options are offered every week to promote healthier eating and eco-conscious choices.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
There is an extensive marketing platform implemented by Aramark. This includes incorporating into the monthly calendar, on digital signage, on tabletop napkin dispensers and countertop signage. Programs such as meatfree mondays, vegetarian and vegan options, specific programs (Earth Day, Sustainable Food Week), local sourcing and nutrition information is communicated through this media. Aramark also utilizes the Cool Foods Meal Platform, which labels low-impact menu items on the digital signage for students to see.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Aramark has a very advanced food waste program to reduce food waste in prep and in over planning. Aramark also has a long-term and official partnership with Loyola’s Food Recovery Network chapter.

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:
All of Loyola's residential dining locations feature tray-less dining. Our tray-less dining program saves each individual almost 500 gallons of water used for cleaning every year. It also saves energy, stops the use of cleaning agents that can pollute water supplies, and reduces food waste by 25-30%.

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:
Aramark has a long-term and official partnership with Loyola’s Food Recovery Network chapter, which "rescues" food from events, dining halls, and semester-end programs to donate to a local food pantry, A Just Harvest.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Loyola donates its waste vegetable oil to Loyola's Biodiesel Production Program. The fuel processed in the Biodiesel Program uses 100% waste vegetable oil as feedstock. Students participating in the Biodiesel Program also created "BioSoap" formed entirely from biodiesel production and the vegetable oil from campus cafeterias. The soap is sold on both the Water Tower and Lake Shore Campuses and all proceeds benefit the continued success of the Biodiesel Program.

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:
Loyola is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint by fostering a culture that reduces, reuses, and recycles waste. In all dining halls (both Lake Shore and Water Tower Campuses), Aramark staff are trained to minimize pre-consumer food waste and divert any organic food scraps for composting.

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 of Loyola's dining halls at the Lake Shore Campus include post-consumer composting in their operations. Food waste, inedible food scraps, and soiled napkins are scraped from reusable plates and diverted through organics pick up for industrial composting.

Loyola also provides several other opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and guests to participate in organics diversion for composting. The Compost Bucket Program is a free program available to students, staff, and faculty who receive a 1.5 gallon bucket for food scraps once they complete an application and training. The Office of Sustainability hosts weekly drop-off events where participants weigh their organic material and can ask any questions.

Additionally, all of the basketball and volleyball games in Gentile Arena are Zero Waste Games. Volunteers staff Zero Waste Stations around the concourse and provide guidance to game attendees on what materials are recyclable and compostable. The Office of Sustainability also works with groups across the university to support Zero Waste Events where volunteer-staffed Zero Waste Stations are added to catered events.

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 dining halls have reusable service ware only.

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:
Aramark utilizes a variety of third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals, specifically in our retail location. A majority of our compostable products are from a brand named Eco Products and sold to us through a vendor called Sysco. Aramark orders compostable items such as bowls, lids, silverware, and other models of to-go containers for all retail locations on campus.

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?:
No

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Currently, Aramark at Loyola University Chicago does not offer a reusable container program. During the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, all dining halls provided to-go containers for students. This gave students the opportunity to grab and go from a dining hall, so they didn’t have to sit in the common space. Once the state dropped these guidelines, Aramark Loyola Dining took away the to-go option due to increased food waste. This was causing a sustainability issue because many students were taking more food which ended up in the landfill bins. As such, in order to align with our sustainability mission and to better our planet, we removed this option. However, Aramark is always looking for new and innovative ways to practice our operation sustainably.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Wellness (including Vegan/Vegetarian) materials are listed in menus here: https://luc.campusdish.com/HealthAndWellness

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
http://luc.campusdish.com/Sustainability.aspx

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