| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.43 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2023 |
The Ohio State University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Greg
Maginn Sustainability Analyst FOD |
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:
Ohio State operates Waterman Lab, a 261-acre working research farm at the heart of its urban Columbus campus. This asset provides opportunities to advance grain and animal agricultural and forestry research and innovation in a heavily urbanized setting. Further, Ohio State’s local Extension office is located at the site, which provides an opportunity for the community to gather for urban agricultural educational programming.
Within the larger Waterman Lab, a university supported Student Farm organization maintains a three-acre area and associated indoor growing facilities, with the express purpose of demonstrating low-impact, sustainable urban agriculture techniques. With the produce it grows, the Student Farm offers a CSA to the campus community and hosts u-pick days at the farm for the community.
At Ohio State’s regional campuses, the university has supported urban community “micro-farms” for area residents to utilize their existing home property to grow nutritious fruits and vegetables for their home use and for sale to local outlets for supplemental income. First implemented in 2017 at the university Mansfield campus, in partnership with the City of Mansfield and area residents, the program expanded to the university’s Marion campus over the course of 202-2021 in partnership with City of Marion residents and city leaders.
https://waterman.osu.edu/home
https://org.osu.edu/studentfarm/
https://artsandsciences.osu.edu/news/mansfield-microfarms-craft-sustainable-urban-agriculture-model
https://osumarion.osu.edu/alumni-initiatives/initiatives/microfarm.html
Within the larger Waterman Lab, a university supported Student Farm organization maintains a three-acre area and associated indoor growing facilities, with the express purpose of demonstrating low-impact, sustainable urban agriculture techniques. With the produce it grows, the Student Farm offers a CSA to the campus community and hosts u-pick days at the farm for the community.
At Ohio State’s regional campuses, the university has supported urban community “micro-farms” for area residents to utilize their existing home property to grow nutritious fruits and vegetables for their home use and for sale to local outlets for supplemental income. First implemented in 2017 at the university Mansfield campus, in partnership with the City of Mansfield and area residents, the program expanded to the university’s Marion campus over the course of 202-2021 in partnership with City of Marion residents and city leaders.
https://org.osu.edu/studentfarm/
https://artsandsciences.osu.edu/news/mansfield-microfarms-craft-sustainable-urban-agriculture-model
https://osumarion.osu.edu/alumni-initiatives/initiatives/microfarm.html
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:
The Ohio State University hosts the Heirloom Café on its Columbus campus, within the university’s Wexner Center for the Arts Museum. A locally owned vegan and vegetarian forward restaurant, Heirloom offers diners seasonal menu options that are prepared using local-sourced and environmentally friendly ingredients (organic, etc.).
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:
Ohio State’s food and beverage purchasing decisions align with the university’s overall aim to better support under-represented communities. This includes seeking out and purchasing from minority business enterprises (MBE) and the State of Ohio’s Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) certified businesses.
https://busfin.osu.edu/inside-bf/bf-diversity-equity-inclusion
https://development.ohio.gov/business/minority-business/certifications/encouraging-diversity-growth-and-equity-program
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:
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:
Ohio State provides vegan meal options at all campus dining locations. Annually, 30% of the university’s food offerings are vegan.
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:
The Office of Student Life Dining Services' goal is to have 100% transparency on our food sources. We want to connect all of our food purchases to its origin.
Yes (https://dining.osu.edu/NetNutrition/1), seen on the right side of the screen you can indicate the type of food you would like displayed per heading that is clicked on.
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:
As a self-operated dining system, Ohio State closely tracks the purchase of food items from its campus dining locations through an internal monitoring system. This allows the university to provide timely food inventory delivery to locations where it is needed, and scale back food deliveries where sales are slower. This effort reduces food over production and delivery to locations where it will not be consumed, thus reducing the generation of food waste.
In instances when food is not consumed, the university partners with the student-run Ohio State chapter of the Food Recovery Network to track and collect viable unpurchased food items from campus dining locations via a mobile app on a daily basis for delivery to local food shelters and secondary processors who can use the available excess food in the production of new products.
Finally, for items that the Food Recovery Network cannot place, the university partners with Mid-Ohio Food Collective (a regional foodbank) to responsibly repurpose viable food to the foodbank’s customers.
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:
Ohio State University’s campus dining halls implemented trayless dining at the start of 2008-2009 academic year, and have continuously operated in that manner during the intervening fifteen years.
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:
Yes, as noted above through the university’s partnership with the Food Recovery Network and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. In FY22, Ohio State donated 26,600 pounds of food from dining halls and cafes.
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:
Ohio State’s Dining Services diverts pre- and post-consumer food waste from landfills via composting and on-site bio-digesters at its dining hall locations and culinary production kitchen, which centrally prepares food served at the dining halls and campus cafes.
Further, campus cafes collect used coffee grounds, which is then utilized across the campus by the university’s landscape services in place of artificial fertilizer, providing a nutrient rich soil additive for plant growth.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Yes, University Dining Services maintains pre-consumer composting programming at its locations, including at the university’s culinary production kitchen where a large amount of the food served at campus dining locations is prepared.
https://greenbuckeyes.osu.edu/articles/sustainability-in-ohio-states-dining-services/
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Yes, Ohio State collects compost from 120 locations, including campus dining locations, residence halls, university libraries, university daycares, the university hotel, event centers, athletic venues, and some other academic/administrative buildings with kitchenettes. In addition, the university maintains seven compost drop-off locations on its campus for off-campus students and employees to bring their home (or office) compost to further reduce food waste generated by Ohio State’s community from reaching the landfill. Over 1,700 faculty and staff have signed up for the compost drop-off program and received a free home compost pail. All collected compost is delivered to an appropriately permitted commercial compost facility.
In addition, compost is collected at Zero Waste catered events at campus locations.
https://fod.osu.edu/compost
https://fod.osu.edu/zero-waste
https://news.osu.edu/composting-programs-expanding-at-ohio-state/
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:
Yes, reusable service ware is provided for “dine in” meals at Ohio State’s dining halls. Further, University Dining Services provides Zero Waste Toolkits for student dining events occurring on campus outside of the dining halls. The toolkits contain sets of reusable plates, cups and cutlery (and bowls, upon request). Dining Services cleans and reissues the toolkits to additional student events.
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:
Yes, for a number of years, University Dining Services has provided certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals in conjunction with the university’s compost collection. However, Ohio State has conducted a series of reusable container test pilots in different campus locations and evolving logistics since FY 2021. A full campus-wide program launch is expected during FY 2023, utilizing new container tracking technology that has demonstrated a high level of success in increasing container return rates.
https://dining.osu.edu/sustainability/reusable-container-program/
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:
Yes, all customers receive a pricing discount on prepared beverages when they provide their own reusable container for the beverage. Further, customers have free access to use any fountain drink “freestyle” machine on campus at any time if they use a reusable container.
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Culturally diverse culinary options are available to all students, faculty, and staff across campus.
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.