| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.96 |
| Liaison | Tracey Coronado |
| Submission Date | March 15, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Missouri State University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Doug
Neidigh Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Management |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
Missouri State Dining Sustainability Commitment
With education as the primary focus of our business activity, Missouri State Dining is committed to fostering and promoting sustainable business principles to our clients and guests. Our associates lead by example through activities that minimize our impact on the environment by practicing the 3Rs, with a primary focus on reduction. Our programs will include the necessary information to encourage informed choices on both the food we conserve and the ways we interact with the natural environment. Charitable donations, funding scholarship and bursaries, and active volunteerism by our associate are just some of the ways that Missouri State Dining re-invests in our communities.
Focus On Our Environment
We minimize our impact on the environment with a primary focus on reduction. Our approach is to bring awareness and education and implement best practices were viable for waste management, water conservation, energy efficiency and pollution control.
Responsible Purchasing Initiatives
We encourage responsible and sustainable practices in our supply chains. Our purchasing initiatives provide food choices which celebrate flavor, affirm cultural traditions and support local communities, and include local purchasing, fair trade coffee and sustainable seafood programs.
In Our Community
We support and encourage charitable initiatives and community reinvestment with out associates and partners corporately and locally where we do business.
Nutrition & Wellness Programs
We provide programs and education that foster and promote healthful, productive workplaces and communities for the benefit of our associates and guests. Programs include BalancedU, our healthy lifestyles nutrition program, and healthy work place reward and development program.
Health & Environmentally Conscious
Missouri State Dining is proud to use only cage free eggs, antibiotic free and free range chicken and pork products, as well as partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquariums Seafood Watch program to assure that all seafood served complies with strict sustainability requirements. Missouri State Dining uses only trans-fat free products - from cooking oils to our bakery. Missouri State Dining is excited to use paper products that are 100% recyclable and are made in part by post-consumer waste materials.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
Chartwells has purchased beef and products such as jam and peaches through our College of Agriculture.
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?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
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?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Vegan dining is available for students in the dining halls at every meal through Balanced U and Rooted lines. Vegan items are identified by a vegan logo.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events:
In conjunction with the Residence Hall Association in the fall of 2013 we began Meatless Monday at Missouri State University. We provide entrée options that are free of meat at lunch in Blair-Shannon and in Garst at dinner on Mondays.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Twice per semester we feature locally sourced sustainable products to serve in our Union Club. During the last local lunch we featured beef fajitas from the Missouri State cattle herd with onions and peppers from Dan Bigbie farms located about two miles from campus. We also served Creighton Farms locally grown and locally famous sweet corn.
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:
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Dining halls feature a series of signage to discuss waste reduction and our sustainability practices including composting, recycling and purchase of sustainable products.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
Chartwells employees and student interns host a variety of tours about hydroponics throughout the year.
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)?:
A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
We have several wellness programs including BalancedU, our healthy lifestyles nutrition program, healthy work place reward and development program, and a monthly Super Foods highlight.
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:
We utilize a program called Waste Tracks in which we collect all the waste as were doing food production in special containers and then those containers are weighed and entered into a log every day. In addition to tracking, we have several waste prevention protocols and programs.
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:
All dining halls have been trayless since Fall 2010. We have implemented a portion control program that we call love food hate waste, as well as meatless Monday.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
A brief description of the food donation program:
Missouri State University joined the Food Recovery Network in 2014. Student volunteers recover food not used by students, which would otherwise be thrown away, from two dining halls (Blair-Shannon & Garst). This food is delivered to community agencies every Tuesday and Friday. During the process, the volunteers document the amount and type of food donated from each dining hall as well as food temperatures for safety concerns.
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)?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Used cooking oil is donated and converted into fuel.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Dining services composts all food waste through a program called Trim Trax. The dining halls have buckets in the kitchens were they put all of the pre-consumer waste such as onion peelings, celery roots etc. which are then put into the compost cans at the end of each shift.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Dining services composts all food waste. The trash cans out front and in the dish room have corn plastic liners. When customers dump food out front into the trashcan or send it back on the plate, it ends up in a can which is later taken outside and placed in larger composting holding cans outside. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the composting company picks up the bins from all the locations and delivers it to their composting facility.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
N/A
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)?:
A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
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?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Our Starbucks locations and retail food locations provides discounts for bringing your own cup.
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)?:
A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
Chartwells corporate drives the process to minimize packaging. Positive outcomes of working with vendors includes switching all of the Styrofoam Chick-fil- A cups to a compostable cup and opting for more sustainable containers at our retail locations in the Plaster Student Union.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.