Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.93
Liaison Gabrielle Jette
Submission Date April 13, 2022

STARS v2.2

The Catholic University of America
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.68 / 2.00
"---" 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:
Chartwells purchases from Women Minority Business Enterprises.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
4

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:
In The Eatery, the dining facility on campus, our Rooted station is committed to providing high-protein plant-based items daily. The menus, developed by the Catholic University culinary team, are designed to provide physiological benefits, clarity and sustained energy and have a smaller carbon footprint. They are also anything but bland, relying on a globally diverse flavor palette.

Menus feature complete and complex meals that contain a minimum of 15 grams of protein, mono and poly unsaturated fats, reduced carbohydrates and beneficial levels of Vitamin B12 to provide lasting energy. Options such as superfood global bowls, street food handhelds, elixirs, healthy shots and smoothies fit into Gen Z’s predilection for snacking and dining throughout the day. Menus are designed to rely heavily on fresh, local and sustainable ingredients.

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 Eatery: Rooted is our plant-based vegan station that features a high-protein meatless entree, starch and vegetable daily during lunch and dinner.
Retail: Vegan options are available at our retail locations, including Burger 202, Jack & Olive grab & go items, Which Wich, Chef’s Table monthly rotating station, and Murphy’s Grill.

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:
We have menu item callouts in The Eatery for local and sustainable items. Our vinyl layout in The Eatery also highlights our sustainability initiatives.

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:
Waste Not 2.0 collects data on the waste that we put into our composting bin, so we can measure our waste and look for improvements.

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 Eatery in trayless to encourage students to only take what they will eat.

Food donation 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
No

A brief description of the food donation program:
---

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:
Waste Not 2.0 collects all the waste that we put into our composting bin, so we can measure our waste and look for improvements. In addition to waste reduction, we actively compost and have partnerships with Catholic Ministries for donations of items that can be reused.

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:
Back-of-house food waste (over production, expired food, and food scraps from production) is all composted in a designated composting 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:
The Eatery and Murphy’s, the restaurant on campus, both compost waste from the front-of-house.

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 Eatery uses all reusable silverware.

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:
Compostable containers and straws are provided for to-go meals throughout our dining locations. Recyclable utensils are available throughout our dining locations.

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?:
No

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
---

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Our team donates meals each week to Campus Ministry and makes donations to Cardinal Cupboard, the on-campus food pantry, during inventory reductions.

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
https://dineoncampus.com/catholic/sustainability

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.