Overall Rating	Silver - expired
Overall Score	50.31
Liaison	Amy McElhinney
Submission Date	Sept. 29, 2017
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

University of Mount Union
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.00 / 2.00	Steve Baity AVI Resident Director AVI

"---" 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:

AVI Foodsystems Food is something that is pervasive in everyone’s life. It’s our passion. Our commitment reaches beyond the meals we serve every day into the importance of sustainability and protecting our ecosystem. To ensure quality food, we must start at the roots, literally. Preserving our soil, water and air protects our food supply and our future. It's all about the love of the earth. For more information on our sustainability initiatives, visit AVILoveoftheEarth.com. As a family-owned and operated organization, we are compelled to promote and encourage responsibility at every level in the Company. We take an interest in advancing our communities, wellness and environmental sustainability through the contributions of all of our team members. Our proprietary wellness program, nutriSOURCE, is a multi-faceted approach to wellness. Our mission is much more than healthy foods. We work diligently to educate and provide the choices our customers are seeking. Wellness selections are clearly identified in our dining centers and within our vending machines with easy to understand labeling and Point Of Sale materials. The AVI wellness team works diligently with procurement, culinary, research and development, and marketing teams to positively impact our culinary offering. Visit our AVInutriSOURCE.com site to learn more about our leading health and wellness program. We continue to bring new ideas to the forefront to protect the environment and make decisions that are fiscally and environmentally responsible. Reducing our environmental footprint and integrating sustainable practices is vitally important. Each team member is encouraged to conserve and treat resources with respect. Simple things like switching off lights to major initiatives to reduce environmental impact are a part of the Company’s culture and beliefs. For more information on our sustainability initiatives, visit AVILoveoftheEarth.com.

On-Campus Sourcing

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:

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

---

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?:

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:

---

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:

AVI offers many different food options in the buffet style dining that is offered, many of which conform to a vegan diet.

Low-Impact Dining Events

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

A brief description of the low impact dining events:

---

Sustainability-Themed Meals

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:

Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:

When feasible, AVI purchases local foods and advertises this information, along with the daily menus, on TV monitors.

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?:

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:

---

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:

When feasible, AVI purchases local foods and advertises this information, along with the daily menus, on TV monitors and in napkin holders on tables.

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:

In the fall of 2016 the Sustainability Management Advisory Committee hosted a Local Sustainable Foods Fair. This consisted of local vendors and Farmers Market vendors and a program featuring speakers from a local CSA. A program on the Ethics of Eating is planned for fall 2017.

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:

Our proprietary wellness program, nutriSOURCE, is a multi-faceted approach to wellness. Our mission is much more than healthy foods. We work diligently to educate and provide the choices our customers are seeking. Wellness selections are clearly identified in our dining centers and within our vending machines with easy to understand labeling and Point Of Sale materials. The AVI wellness team works diligently with procurement, culinary, research and development, and marketing teams to positively impact our culinary offering. Visit our AVInutriSOURCE.com site to learn more about our leading health and wellness program.

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?:

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:

AVI is our current food service provider. We do not have any programs or practices to track or reduce pre-consumer food waste in the kitchen, prep and spoilage.

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?:

A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:

We currently do not have a formal program or practice in place to track and reduce post-consumer food waste. We conduct food waste audits of post-consumer food waste and do various outreach events tabling in front of the cafeteria to educate students on food waste.

Food Donation

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:

The Regula Center for Public Service holds food drives thoughout the year. Other departments on campus hold periodic food drives that are donated to local charities, organizations including the Alliance Food Pantry. The Regula Center for Public Service also coordinates a Community-wide Thanksgiving Dinner with donations from the University of Mount Union staff, faculty and students, and local area businesses.

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)?:

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:

---

Composting

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:

We do not have a food waste compost program. The Nature Center actively composts food waste, but this is an offsite location.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:

We do not have a food waste compost program.

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:

All dine in meals are served on reusable plates and bowls. All cups and silverware are reusable. No disposable service ware is used in the Dining Hall. It is all washed using Industrial Dishwashers. The campus dining offers reusable to-go containers made available to students at $5 for the year. When they return their to-go container they receive their $5 back.

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:

The campus dining offers reusable to-go containers made available to students at $5 for the year. When they return their to-go container they receive their $5 back. We do not offer composting on our campus.

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?:

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

There are no discounts for customers who bring their own reusable containers at this time.

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)?:

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:

---

Optional Fields

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

---

Additional documentation to support the submission:

---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Some information provided by AVI Steve Baity, Resident Director. Information entered by Jamie Greiner.

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.