Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 56.01
Liaison Suzanne Wood
Submission Date Aug. 16, 2023

STARS v2.2

UMass Chan Medical School
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 2.00 Kortni Wroten
Sustainability and Energy Manager
Facilities
"---" 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:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share program organized by the UMass Chan Medical School Office of Sustainability and the Office of Well-Being, in partnership with Stillman’s Farm of New Braintree.

The program is open to all UMass Chan Medical School students, faculty and staff. One CSA share includes 16 weekly deliveries of produce, approximately two-thirds of a bushel each week in a reusable container. Most recently, the program was adapted to be more affordable by including the option for a half share at half the cost.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
NexDine's cafe hosts a counter space dedicated to artisan goods sourced from local businesses in partnership with the Worcester Food Hub. The Worcester Food Hub offers food from an ever-growing network of New England farmers & producers, and NexDine demonstrates the importance of supporting local economies.

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:
NexDine has a partnership with Worcester Food Hub to source locally-grown produce and artisan goods. By forming relationships with local farmers and distributing their food to schools, universities, health care facilities, markets, specialty shops and restaurants, the Food Hub gets food into the hands of the people that need it the most.

Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
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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:
1. NexDine offers at least one lunch option that is vegetarian. Every dining area also has a salad bar and deli bar that includes fresh vegetables, daily specials and a variety of vegetarian and vegan spreads and sandwich fillings. For customers that are vegan and lactose intolerant consumers, nut-based and soy milks are available in all of our dining rooms. Additionally, Dining Services operates on an “open kitchen” policy. Any student who needs specific/individual help with their meal (dietary need, choice, or allergy) can speak with one of our cooking staff to have a meal made custom for their needs. In the case of vegans, we often have complete protein grain based foods available. However, some may choose to have other foods stir-fried for them by our staff instead.

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:
Vegan options are available daily at the salad bar and in the form of fresh fruits and snacks. Vegan options are sometimes available at the grill as well but are cooked on separate sauté pan to avoid contamination with animal products. Occasional vegan soups and special entrees are offered. Additionally, the menus do identify which items are vegan with the symbol "VG" next to menu item.

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:
Labelling and signage vary on specialty products or local produce being brought in from time to time. Each day, Dining Services highlights local artisan products provided by a local food nonprofit called Worcester Food Hub. There are signs around this section of the cafe to highlight the local nature of the products.

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:
Pre-consumer food waste is donated to a local pig farmer to be used as feed.

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:
We do not have "all you can eat" dining at UMass Chan or trays.

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:
Pre-consumer food waste is donated to a local pig farmer to use as animal feed. Every few days, the farmer arrives at UMass Chan Medical School and picks up about 200 gallons of pre-consumer food waste each visit.

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:
Yes, diverts pre-consumer food scraps for donation to local pig farm and recycles used cooking oil.

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:
No, donate to local pig farmer instead

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?:
No

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
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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:
NexDine provides biodegradable and compostable service wares

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:
Dining Services offer a discount for using reusable mugs rather than disposable mugs. Regardless of the size of the beverage, it is always charged as a small size.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Dining Services offer ethnic foods daily, regular promotions, and one a month Gourmet India option.

Our Dining Services also offered an Earth Month menu and partnered with the Office of Sustainability on providing free smoothie ingredients for a smoothie bike event.

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
https://cafes.nexdine.com/sherman

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.