| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.49 |
| Liaison | Angela Oberg |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2023 |
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.88 / 2.00 |
Joseph
Charette Executive Director Dining Services |
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?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Rutgers has a farmers market on campus and we host a student run organic farm
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:
Yes, Rutgers has a foodservice operation in the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health called Harvest that follows the Menus of Change Principles. Harvest Café serves dishes that are focused on whole, minimally processed food, with "from scratch" culinary techniques that develop flavor without additives, chemicals, sugars, and artificial enhancers found in most processed foods. All service ware is compostable and food is locally sourced when possible.
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?:
A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Dining Services does business with small local businesses and minority owned businesses
Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
Rutgers follows the Menus of Change principles in our student board operations as well as our catering operations
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:
Rutgers dining services offers both Vegan and Vegetarian options at every meal
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
Rutgers has Menus of Change posters up in every dining hall and we label food with carbon footprint information
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:
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:
Rutgers dining went completely trayless in 2014
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:
Rutgers dining donates to The Rutgers Food Pantry as well as three other local food banks
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Rutgers sends no food to a landfill and has not in well over 40 years. We have aerobic digesters in all dining halls and before that it was picked up for animal feed. Rutgers even reuses fry oil to generate electricity.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Starting in the fall of 2022; Kitchen trimmings will be picked up and brought to our composting machine and then sold or be given away as a soil additive
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Post-consumer waste will also be brought to our composting machine
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:
Rutgers washes, rinses, and sanitizes all service ware for reuse in our dining halls
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:
Rutgers is not 100% yet but has 100% compostable takeout materials in almost every foodservice location.
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?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs 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.