Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.88
Liaison Joanne Wong
Submission Date May 31, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Mills College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Crystal Chun Wong
Bon Appetit General Manager
Dining
"---" 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:
Bon Appetit's founding philosophy is: "Our Dream is to be the premier onsite restaurant company known for its culinary expertise and commitment to socially responsible practices. We are a culture driven to create food that is alive with flavor and nutrition, prepared from scratch using authentic ingredients. We do this in a socially responsible manner for the well-being of our guests, communities, and the environment."

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
Yes

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
Bon Appetit sources produce from the Mills Community Farm.

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?:
No

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
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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 always a plant-based protein option at every meal, such as high protein grains and legumes. Tofu and beans offered every day.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
Bon Appetit offers "Low Carbon Day."

Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Bon Appetit hosts local harvest dinners, with "Eat Local Day" showcasing local farms and vendors.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Bon Appetit labels all food options as vegetarian, vegan, local, etc. There is signage regarding proper recycling and composting, as well as signs on the tables with rotating sustainability facts.

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:
Bon Appetit has fellows whose primary job is to engage in outreach / education regarding sustainable food systems. The Bon Appetit West Coast fellow puts on a series of annual events at Mills. This year, those events will include a screening of a documentary on farmworker rights, a farm workshop, and a tasting/discussion with a local vendor.

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:
Culturally diverse options are consistently made available at the dining hall, and there are also culturally themed meals for events such as Chinese New Year and Black History Month. Bon Appetit also hosts Wellness Wednesdays the first Wednesday of the month to encourage healthy eating and lifestyles.

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:
Bon Appetit utilized the LeanPath software to track and reduce food wawste.

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:
After the student group Earth CORPS ran a campaign in the fall of 2008, Mills College adopted a trayless meals program at the beginning of the semester in spring 2009. Trays are still available to students with disabilities.

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:
During the academic year, there is rarely leftover food because of batch cooking. Our food service provider, Bon Appetit, donates leftover food to Chefs to End Hunger, a nonprofit that redistributes the food to local food agencies.

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:
All Dining Services pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, coffee cups, waxed cardboard, and food-soiled paper are directed into the compost bin.

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 Dining Services pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, coffee cups, waxed cardboard, and food-soiled paper are directed into the compost bin.

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:
In the main dining hall, the only option is to use reusable dinnerware and utensils. In the dining area that has to-go options, all customers have the option of eating at the location with reusable dishware.

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:
Almost all to-go items provided by dining on campus are in compostable packaging. This even includes challenging materials such as coffee cup lids and straws. There is a high standard that has been set and followed through on for many years now. The only exception is glass or metal beverage containers. There has been a dedication to providing beverages in glass and metal, limiting the selection of beverages available in plastic.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Customers receive a $0.20 discount for bringing in their own mugs for coffee.

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:
Bon Appetit works with vendors to reduce food waste packaging from the source. Bon Appetit also works to reduce customer food packaging waste with simple practices like asking customers “For Here?” instead of instantly offering a to go box, as well as keeping china within eye line of the customers and to go boxes out of sight, so that customers are able to make better choices in packaging.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.cafebonappetit.com/mills

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
There are no blind purchases. Inspections of farms occur at least once a year.

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.