Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 71.07
Liaison Carolyn Shafer
Submission Date March 1, 2024

STARS v2.2

Pratt Institute
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.88 / 2.00 Carolyn Shafer
Director
Center for Sustainable Design Strategies
"---" 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:
Farm to Campus started in Fall 2020 as a recipient of funds awarded by the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee. During the Fall and Spring semesters, fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs, and seasonal items like maple syrup and honey are delivered to Pratt’s Brooklyn campus for purchase.

All produce is grown primarily by regional farmers and sourced through GrowNYC, a sustainability resource for all New Yorkers interested in food access, conservation, green spaces, and education.

Produce availability changes according to season and yield from participating farms. Customers will not be able to choose what items are ordered, nor will they know what will be available the following week prior to payment.

https://www.pratt.edu/resources/farm-to-campus/

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Pratt partners with Sysco Food Systems for approx. $2,300,000 annually.
SYSCO partners with more than 500 minority and women owned suppliers.
We assume a 10% rate overall.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
10

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:
Wellness Wed. featured / promoted plant-based options. All non- plant-based items were not served on those days. Lead to addition of plant-based options to the regular menu throughout the rest of the week.

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 1 vegan hot entree offered daily.
There are pre-packaged cold selections offered daily.

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:
Daily signage is provided that identifies food preferences, vegan, vegetarian, fish, etc.

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:
AVI Fresh uses Jamix (https://www.jamix.com/) to Track food waste and set food waste reduction goals.

JAMIX Kitchen Intelligence System supports a food service operation comprehensively, including tools that support sustainability. JAMIX CO2 Calculator provides information on the carbon footprint of food. In addition, the system includes versatile tools for reducing food waste. Reducing waste will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your kitchen. And it will save money.

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:
The previous food vendor used trays.
The current vendor is tray-less.

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:
Unused dry/canned goods are donated to the Pratt Pantry. Also, around key holidays, unused food is donated to the local precinct to support the local community who are in need.

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:
Cooking oil is collected and recycled/used for other industrial uses.

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:
The main cafeteria has just launched pre-consumer composting this year.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
No

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
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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:
Yes, re-usable baskets are used for dine-in meals instead of single-use plastic clam-shells.

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:
---

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:
Beverage refills are discounted when faculty, staff and students bring their own containers. Reusable mugs are sold in the main dining hall to support this initiative.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
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Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
TG_Pratt_AASHE_STARS_1819.xlsx

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.