University of Utah
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

The University of Utah Farmers Market links local growers and artisans with the campus community and provides access to fresh, healthy, local produce and unique arts and crafts. Approximately 30 vendors attend the University of Utah Farmers Market each week during the first part of the fall semester. After a suspension of the market due to the pandemic, the market returned for its 13th season in the fall of 2022. https://sustainability.utah.edu/farmers-market/

The Edible Campus Gardens (ECG)-The Edible Campus Gardens are inviting spaces that empower the campus community to engage in sustainable food systems, through co-curricular and academic programming. The gardens are a public space open to classes, students, and volunteers. An ecological, holistic, and beyond-organic approach to gardening is applied. Due to the unexpected nature of the COVID 19 pandemic, the gardens moved its focus to donate all organic produce to the FeedU Pantry and Basic Needs Center. Post pandemic the produce is given away to students at the Farmers Market, donated to the FeedU Pantry, and exchanged with volunteers. The gardens were established in 1996 by a biology professor, Dr. Fred Montague, and have been growing ever since. http://sustainability.utah.edu/edible-campus-gardens/

Rooted is a food outlet in the Carolyn and Kem Gardener Commons building. Rooted is the answer to a growing demand for clean, less-processed food, and more plant-based and environmentally conscious menus. This dining outlet focuses on real, wholesome foods with minimally-processed ingredients that are completely plant-based (with optional dairy add-ons). Rooted attracts and serves vegans and non-vegans alike.

Dining Services also outlines its various sustainability initiatives that they offer. Additionally, they provide a sustainable score card.
https://dineoncampus.com/utah/sustainability-programs

Two dining locations on campus offer a local rotating restaurant. Currently, two restaurants are in rotation: Tonkotsu Ramen and Saffron Valley.

Campus Dining Services lists some of the local partners they source from on their Dine on Campus webpage. Some of these items can be purchased at various locations on campus.
https://dineoncampus.com/utah/eat-local

Complete protein vegan options are offered at dedicated stations in the Heritage Center Dining Room (the primary dining facility) and at Gardner Commons. Gardner Commons offers a food outlet called "Rooted" serving 100% vegan options. Vegan options are also available at Lassonde Cafe, the Union Food Court, and other locations around campus. Vegan meals are also labeled through the "Balanced U" program. https://dineoncampus.com/utah/vegan-and-vegetarian-dining

"Balanced U: Balanced U icons label foods in four categories 1) Balanced (low in calories, saturated fat, cholestrol and sodium); 2) Gluten Free 3) Vegan 4) Vegetarian. https://new.dineoncampus.com/utah/healthy-decisions

Food Waste Signage: The weight of food wasted per month in the Heritage Center Dining Room is posted regularly in a visible location.

In 2022, University of Utah Hospital had Earth-Week educational signage paired with plant-based menus to encourage plant-based meals as a way to reduce environmental impact.

Wasteless Solutions: Dining Services on the U of U campus partners with Wasteless Solutions, which picks up unsold packaged food from one location once a week and diverts it to the 10th Street Senior Center. University of Utah Health similarly began a partnership with Wasteless Solutions, which picks up unsold pans from the cafeteria hotline and diverts it to the Road Home.

Food Recovery Network: Food Recovery Network (FRN) is sponsored by Dining Services. FRN collects leftover food from dining halls and events. They currently pick up food once a week from the Union Food Court and the Heritage Center Dining Room. The food goes to the Basic Needs Collective at the University of Utah. This student group was established in 2015 and has recovered 49,820.35 lbs. of food.

Trayless dining is implemented at the Heritage Center, the main residence hall dining. Reduced portion size is encouraged the Heritage Center, where it is an all you can eat buffet.

Food Recovery Network; Wasteless Solutions: Please see information in the food recovery section above.

In addition, Dining Services donates unsold food to the Feed U Pantry multiple times a semester, depending on whether the food is shelf-stable.

Similarly, University of Utah Health donates unused packaged food from patient galleys to the FeedU Food Pantry. Total donated in 2022 was 5,166 lbs. and $12,902.00.

Yes, some cooking oil is converted to fuel. Additionally, some food waste is picked up by Wasatch Resource Recovery and diverted to the anaerobic digester, where it is converted to methane and fertilizer. Pick-ups are twice weekly at two locations. The waste diversion totals for 2021 are 21 Tons at the Union and at the Heritage Center. (http://wasatchresourcerecovery.com/)

Dining Services composts pre-consumer waste out of their main kitchens. The Dining Services sends 21.1 tons to Wasatch Resource Recovery.

Green Waste with Momentum Recycling: Pre-consumer green waste composting is coordinated through Momentum Recycling. With the opening of an Anaerobic Digestor in Salt Lake City, Dining Services was enthusiastic to contribute food waste to this cause. Food waste from campus is now converted to methane and fertilizer. See the food materials diversion response for data.

Similarly, U of U Health has been sending pre-consumer food waste to the Wasatch Resource Recovery anaerobic digester. In 2022 the main University Hospital sent 52,800lbs and Nielsen Rehab Hospital sent 5,600lbs.

Gardner Commons and the Heritage Center Dining Room offer reusable service ware. Additionally, reusable mugs are sold at some registers.

Gardner Commons offers reusable service ware for sale that can be brought back, exchanged, and washed. Gardener and the Petersen Heritage Center offer compostable to-go containers, but not in conjunction with an on-site composting program.

A mug discount is offered for drinks.

Double Your Dollars Farmers Market Token Program: For the past twelve years, the Sustainability Office has run the University of Utah Farmers Market (UFM) with the mission to increase student access to fresh and healthy food. The Double Your Dollars program expands the mission of the market by providing affordable access to food through the $1 to $1-dollar match for healthy and local food purchases and is based on the SNAP/EBT token programs used at other Farmers Markets in Utah. Students purchase wooden tokens from the Market Manager’s Booth, where each dollar spent receives two wooden tokens. Students “spend” those tokens on grocery-like food items. At the end of the market, the UFM staff buys back the tokens from local vendors. http://archive.unews.utah.edu/news_releases/double-your-dollars-at-the-u-farmers-market/

Student Food Groups at the University of Utah: There are 3 food-focused student clubs (Slow Food U of U, Feed U Pantry, Food Recovery Network,). All of these student groups bring awareness to food issues both on and off-campus and create a food culture between their peers. The Slow Food U of U chapter hosts food tastings and mindful eating classes focused around local foods. The Edible Campus Gardens donated the majority of its produce to the Feed U Pantry post during the COVID 19 pandemic. The Feed U Pantry works to reduce food insecurity on campus for students and their families.

Be Well Utah Farmers Market: A farmers market hosted by the University of Utah Health Care, part of a week of promoting family health.