Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.59
Liaison Bambi Ingram
Submission Date July 29, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Alabama at Birmingham
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.63 / 2.00 Scott Jones
Sustainabilty Intern
UAB Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1: Sustainable Dining Initiatives 

Sustainable Dining Policy

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Commitment: Our Better Tomorrow Commitments Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Commitments mean you can feel confident that when Sodexo is your dining and facilities partner on campus, you are getting the best for your health, for your planet and for your community. These four areas are the main focus of our Better Tomorrow Commitments listed below. Many of the commitments overlap into more than just one of these areas. The commitments are shown below in the area in which they are most commonly strongly identified with, though they are all connected in our journey towards a Better Tomorrow. Our Commitments to Action in four key areas: Develop our People and Promote Diversity Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Local Communities Environment

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
No

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
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Local Community Engagement 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, and/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:
Once per semester UAB Campus Dining hosts a farmers market. UAB Medicine: UAB Medicine is providing the UAB Farmer's Market again this year to the staff and visitors of UAB. We are partnering with the Farmer’s Market Authority of the State of Alabama, part of the Department of Agriculture, to bring some of the best farmers in Alabama to the UAB Market this summer. The Market will be held every Friday, June 3 - August 26 and is open to both staff and visitors of UAB.

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:
Over 100 meals are made weekly that are strictly vegan. At least one vegan option is available at every meal.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
UAB Dining encourages students to participate in “Meatless Monday”, emphasizing the health and environmental importance of cutting consumption of meats like beef, pork, and chicken.

Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
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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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Labeling and Signage 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labeling and signage in dining halls?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Signage reflects the content on this page regarding Meatless Monday. https://www.uab.edu/dining/144-events-and-promotions/158-meatless-mondays-good-for-you-and-the-planet

Outreach and Education 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
UAB partners with Jones Valley Teaching (urban ag project) farm for student service projects related to sustainable food systems, nutrition, etc. Three UAB School of Public Health courses have a large garden plot used to demonstrate growth and harvest techniques. GHS 320-Global Health Service Learning , Universities Fighting World Hunger, and GHS 303-Food Security and Nutrition.

Other Initiatives 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have other sustainability-related initiatives (e.g. health and wellness initiatives, making culturally diverse options available)?:
Yes

A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
1. UAB Campus Restaurants use icons in all signage and content to help diners select nutritious and sustainable options: Sodexo's nutrition icons make it easy to identify healthy choices Look for these nutrition icons on the foods being served on your campus to help you meet your dietary needs or desires. If you need assistance finding the right types of foods for you, please reach out to your on-campus Sodexo manager or chef. If you have additional dietary questions, please contact us so we can help! Sodexo has registered dieticians ready to answer your questions and help you make healthy choices. Feel free to email uabdining@uab.edu to set-up a meeting with our team to discuss your dietary needs or concerns. https://www.uab.edu/dining/about-us/nutrition 2. UAB allows students to donate unused meals: http://www.uab.edu/studentaffairs/news/supporting-students/49-use-your-meal-plan-or-dining-funds-to-help-fellow-student

Part 2: Food and Dining Waste 

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:
UAB Campus Restaurants use the LeanPath system to reduce food waste: LeanPath is a supplier that helps UAB track and measure its food waste through the use of a food waste measurement tool. It is an automated food waste tracking system that is used at The Commons on the Green. The LeanPath program offers a unique learning opportunity to raise awareness about manageable steps that we can all take toward a more sustainable food system. We collect and weigh any pre-consumer waster, this is any food that we have control over from leftovers, overproduction, trimming, catering, ect. LeanPath automatically captures date, time, and estimated value of the waste and reports this data back to UAB Campus Restaurants. LeanPath’s automated system goes far beyond what you can accomplish with pen and paper, providing the simplicity and detail you need to maximize waste reduction. As a result of the new system, UAB stands to significantly reduce its environmental footprint. According to findings from the first eight weeks of a LeanPath pilot program at other partner sites, pre-consumer food waste was reduced by about one third. It is estimated that 1/3 of all food globally is wasted, and UAB Campus Restaurants wants to help cut-down on that number. We expect LeanPath to help us reduce waste by as much as 80%.

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:
Our main dining facility, the UAB Commons, is trayless and portions are small. UAB Dining goes Trayless during Resident Dining January 5, 2009 in The Commons On The Green Going Trayless will: Save approximately 5,000 gallons of water per week Save over 2,500 lbs of solid waste per week Result in a 25% - 30% reduction in energy use Drastically reduce usage of chemical cleaning agents

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:
UAB Dining collects the foods that are still healthy and edible and donates the food to a giveback program to Magic City Harvest during the regular semesters.

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 (e.g. converting cooking oil to fuel, on-site anaerobic digestion)?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Used cooking oil is given away to be converted into bio-diesel. https://www.uab.edu/reporter/work-resources/sustainability/item/5376-new-programs-reduce-waste-in-campus-restaurants

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?:
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?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Reusable service ware is used in the main campus dining hall, UAB Commons.

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)?:
No

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
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Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Starbucks and UAB Campus Restaurants discount beverages 10 cents if a reusable container is provided.

Other Materials Management Initiatives 

Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented other materials management initiatives to minimize waste not covered above (e.g. working with vendors and other entities to reduce waste from food packaging)?:
No

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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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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.