Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.69
Liaison Alan Turnquist
Submission Date July 24, 2023

STARS v2.2

Michigan Technological University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.40 / 2.00 Alan Turnquist
Director of Sustainability and Resilience
Office of the President
"---" 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?:
No

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
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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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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?:
No

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
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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:
Dining services coordinate with the students for sustainability student org to host sustainable dinner meals, with a focus on plant-based options. https://mtulode.com/4854/pulse/join-sdh-for-a-special-earth-day-meal-on-april-22/

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 always available on the menu to the MTU community. See the link below for one example of what we serve at Douglass Houghton Residence Hall. (pdfs of menus available)
https://www.mtu.edu/dining/centers/dhh/

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?:
No

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
The university uses the LeanPath program. Both pre-consumer and post-consumer waste is measured. Any discarded waste is weighed and photographed. The information is then sent to Lean Tracker and weekly reports are generated.
https://www.mtu.edu/dining/about/sustainability/

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 dining halls have converted to trayless dining.

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 university donates food that would otherwise go to waste to local non-profits. Michigan Tech also maintains the Husky Food Access Network, which provides donated food to the campus community. I https://www.mtu.edu/huskyfan/donate/

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:
MTU dining services partners with a 3rd party vendor to transport and convert used cooking oil to bio fuel and animal feed.
https://www.mtu.edu/dining/about/sustainability/

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:
MTU has invested in a dehydrator/composter through a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) formerly the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The goal is to reduce pre-consumer food disposal waste by 90% daily.

https://www.mtu.edu/sustainability/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:
MTU has invested in a dehydrator/composter through a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) formerly the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The goal is to reduce food disposal waste by 90% daily.

https://www.mtu.edu/sustainability/composting/

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 university uses metal flatware and real dishes that can be 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)?:
No

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
MTU dining services uses certified compostable containers for to-go meals through retail dining (example: Khana Kazana) and catering events only.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
our library cafe provides a $.50 discount for using reusable thermoses. Additionally, the Northcoast Deli uses the Mr. Lid reusable container program so customers can return their used containers and get clean ones to reuse at the outlet.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
MTU dining services support wellness initiatives, an example can be found in cooking classes. Additionally, culturally diverse options are available. Once a week, dining services teams up with international students from across campus to bring a special event known as Khana Khazana (food treasure). International students make authentic ethnic foods from their homes and share them with you every Friday during the academic year. On the menu is normally 2-3 dishes and a dessert. https://www.mtu.edu/dining/about/events/

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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