Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 68.39
Liaison Marianne Martin
Submission Date Sept. 22, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of Colorado Boulder
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Nicole Grisham
Sustainability and Food Safety Manager
Housing and Dining Services
"---" 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:
CDS collaborates with Boulder County Farmer's Market and Boulder Slow Food Movement which hosts a variety of CSAs and farmers markets. CDS has also worked with local farms and a local food supplier, FoodMaven, which is a program that also supports local farmers. CDS also operates a Greenhouse at our Village Dining Center which supplies all salad greens to this center and supplements other dining centers on campus. The Greenhouse is just one part of our overall garden program and we support various student led garden club efforts with CDS supported gardens at our Center for Community and SEEC dining facilities.

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:
The Colorado Hearth is a venue in the brand new, LEED platinum dining facility in the Village Center Dining and Community Commons. Every menu item features ingredients that are locally sourced, which is defined as within 250 miles from Boulder. Additionally CDS has our Go Fresh @ Farrand that features high-quality food items with a focus on 100% natural, local and/or organic. This is a particular challenge in the grab and go environment that has a menu consisting of pizza, sandwiches, and burgers for example. While the burger consists of Never-Ever beef produced locally and cattle that are never treated with hormones or antibiotics, this 2017 school year the burger was switched to an 80/20 blend of the Never-Ever beef and locally produced mushrooms. This mix increases sustainability through the application of the mushrooms, provides improved quality and moisture, and is getting excellent feedback on taste and fulfillment from our customers.

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:
CDS applies local sourcing in its purchasing guidelines. We create menu items from ingredients from local SMEs and sell products from local SMEs in our convenient stores. The STARS Food and Beverage Inventory contains more information.

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

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:
Campus Dining Services hosts many low impact dining events throughout the year. The low impact dining approach to customer education at CDS is to promote plant forward diets and reduce food waste. CDS Marketing and Communications utilizes Menus of Change principles on napkin dispenser inserts, digital signage and social media to promote sustainable dining. Local procurement is highlighted in the Featured Produce of the Month events, Harvest Meal (campus wide) and other special events. To start off each school year on a good foot, CDS hosts Sustainability and Nutrition Week the opening week of fall semester so that we may create food sustainability and nutrition awareness as soon as possible with our new students. We hold a tabling event in our large dining facilities, the Center for Community, Village Center and Sewall Dining. CDS also continued several programs from last submittal including World Food Day at our University Memorial Center, and Earth Day and the Scrape Your Plate campaign in our Center for Community and Village Dining Centers.

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:
CDS menu standards require a vegan entrée at every meal and every station in all dining halls. The entrée must have a complete protein, and be an actual entrée, not just a side dish. Our goal is to make plant-based entrees that are healthy, filling, nutritious, and tempting, allowing all customers to opt for this dish, not just vegan or vegetarian customers. Our campus covers a large area with various parts integrated into the surrounding city hence a designated operation would inevitably be difficult for some to enjoy. Utilizing pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds and plant-based protein options like tofu, seitan and tempeh, applied in culturally diverse platforms, allows for a vibrant menu mix that is tempting and fulfilling. Our menu item label identifies nine allergens (Major 8 plus gluten), pork and alcohol to accommodate other dietary and religious needs. Information on our labeling and vegan/vegetarian programs is attached.

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:
As it relates to all of the sustainable programs noted above, CDS Marketing and Communications utilizes napkin dispenser inserts, digital signage and various forms of social media to promote sustainable dining. Each major building on campus has a large electronic touch screen that helps customers navigate. In our dining centers, these have special links and advertisements to dining events and sustainability messaging. Throughout our dining centers, we have electronic monitors that have constant recirculating sustainability messaging, chalkboard plates with food waste reduction messaging, and fabric flags identifying organic, natural, and other sustainable products. Additionally, our menu item labels that are posted for the customer identify nine allergens (Major 8 plus gluten), pork and alcohol to accommodate dietary and religious needs. Information on our labeling and vegan/vegetarian programs is attached.

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:
LeanPath applied in our operations within our University Memorial Building which includes a large dining facility and catering. All other CDS facilities utilize our Zero Waste applications along with purchasing tools.

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:
CDS employs various menu portioning techniques to reduce post-consumer food waste. Examples include providing pre-portioned/pre-plated servings at stations throughout our AYCTE operations such as Sushi, Black Coats, Toast and the Colorado Hearth. Utensils for customer use are in various sizes and appropriate portions for the food product they are serving. Additionally since the last submittal, new reusable dishware was secured at the Center for Community with portion control and food waste reduction in mind. All reusable items are smaller than previous.

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:
CDS participates on the Food Insecurity Committee on campus and collaborates with the pop up pantries that have begun on campus. CDS supports food donations through networks of local partners including but not limited to Harvest for Hope, Attention Homes, Boulder Food Rescue, and Bridge House, which all ensure food gets to disadvantaged populations. Additionally, CDS added the Swipe It Forward campaign where on World Food Day and Earth Day meal plan holders could donate a meal swipe to combat student hunger.

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:
All dining centers on campus instill in their operations the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy. Food waste that is a result of trim waste in our commissary operations is donated to a local farm for feed for animals. Waste cooking oil is treated and used with our biodiesel fleet on campus; however, in our new Village Dining Center the menu was designed to eliminate the use of fryers and hence cooking oil to support healthy and sustainable initiatives. All other pre and post-compostable items is diverted from landfill and treated at a local commercial composting facility. In our Village Dining Center we continued with the Biodigester that was newly implemented during the last submittal.

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:
As mentioned in the previous questions, all compostable items from all parts of our operations go into a composting program. This includes but is not limited to trim waste, paper towels, waxy cardboard food boxes that cannot go to cardboard recycling, deli papers and bakery sheets.

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:
As mentioned in the previous questions, all compostable items from all parts of our operations go into a composting program. This includes but is not limited to plate waste, paper towels, tea bags, deli papers, and compostable to-go containers and flatware.

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:
CDS utilizes reusable service ware for all of our AYCTE operations. Our Alfred Packer Grill at the UMC also provides reusable service ware for sit down dining and to-go operations. We frequently provide reusable service ware at various catering events held in our conference center and event buildings as well.

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:
CDS provides third party certified compostable containers that are selected in coordination with Eco-cycle who is our compost vendor, as well as campus recycling through the campus zero waste parntership. Through this partnership compost infrastructure was expanded to include composting in residents halls which captured more of the to-go items from dining operations. Additionally, CDS increased it's compostable to-go items throughout the year and in response to the pandemic.

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:
In our AYCTE operations we encourage customers to bring their reusable beverage container with signage and through providing refillable water stations is all buildings that have a dining center. A reusable cup discount is also available at our retail bakery serving coffee drinks.

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
---

Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
https://living.colorado.edu/dining

Additional documentation to support the submission:
C4C Sustainability color brochure.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://www.colorado.edu/living/dining, https://www.colorado.edu/living/sustainability/food, and https://www.colorado.edu/living/sustainability/zero-waste

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.