Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 81.87
Liaison Rania Assariotaki
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2023

STARS v2.2

The American College of Greece
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.68 / 2.00 Ourania Assariotaki
Sustainability Manager
Office of Public Affairs
"---" 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?:
Yes

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
The dining services contractor is supplied by small producers with high-quality products. Around 10% of the total F&B expenditures

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:
The provider is conformed to the customer's demands (ACG) concerning low-impact dining events or plant-forward options.
Also, based on the ACG Sustainability Pledge and Best Practices the community is sensitized to go Meatless on Mondays (MM) http://www.acg.edu/about-acg/sustainability-at-acg/acg-sustainability-pledge/
Additionally, all ACG events are catered by our catering provider and follow the Sustainable Events Guidelines which include also practices for sustainable consumption. Finally, through our membership in the National Alliance for the elimination of food waste, we launched our "Reduce YourFood Print" raising awareness and changing behavior campaign so that all members follow food waste elimination practices. The campaign and efforts are in collaboration with our catering provider.

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:
The dining services contractor provides vegan options to the ACG community in their daily meals with the proper signage like salads, steamed vegetables, baked potatoes. Also, they offer vegan snacks like chocolates that do not include any animal produced substances, vegetable chips etc.

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:
Third Party Verified organic produce is labeled as are vegetarian and vegan options next to each dish. At the gates to the dining area there is labeling as to the ISO certification of products and services as well as the food sharing program "Perisseyma Kardias".

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:
Through the F&B control department the company controls the income and outcome of suppliers and waste.

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:
In the context of our joint efforts and our commitment to eliminating food waste on campus, our catering provider introduced in 2018 the half-portion option. So our members have the option to choose between a full portion and a half portion. This initiative was launched because of the constant monitoring of our waste bins and disposing pattern of our members.

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:
Both ACG and our dining services contractor donate all the left-over food that is conformed with health standards is donated to the Boroume "Boroume- Saving Food, Saving Lives"NGO. Boroume ("We Can") is a non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce food waste and to fight malnutrition in Greece. Through their "Saving & Offering Food" program they save food on a daily basis from many sources and they offer it to charities that help people who are facing food insecurity. Their actions help the most vulnerable in our society as well as the environment by reducing organic food waste.
https://www.boroume.gr/en
https://www.acg.edu/about-acg/sustainability-at-acg/
https://www.dipnosofistirion.gr/en/

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?:
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?:
No

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
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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:
Composting is practiced on campus with the support of the Municipality of Aghia Paraskevi programs. The municipality has provided the college with composting bins and are processed through the municipality's facilities. All left -over food eligible for composting are disposed to the composting bins throughout the day at a daily basis.

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 cutlery and dishes as well as the glasses are reusable china and metal cutlery

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:
Based on company's policy and adhering to our suppliers' code of conduct and in support of our efforts to eliminate single use plastics, the dining services contractor offers compostable straws and coffee-cups and other service ware/containers. Also, in collaboration with the institution in the context of the #ACGgoesplasticfree campaign supports and encourages ACG members to use their reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and food containers as well as cutlery.

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:
Based on the ACG Waste reduction campaign, encouragement to the constituency to use reusable materials and the contractors have been obliged to re-fill containers from even competing companies. In addition to this, the Office of Public Affairs has made available thermos, reusable drinking containers, reusable coffee cups, and wooden cutlery and straws.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Seasonal variation in produce are observed for quality and financial purposes: The quality of the produce purchased seasonally is much higher and has a lower price which allows Dipnosofistirio to keep their prices relatively low.

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