Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.78
Liaison Joseph Wasylycia-Leis
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Winnipeg
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Ian Vickers
Chief Operating Officer
Diversity Food Services
"---" 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:
Diversity Food Services Vision Statement: Our Vision is to produce quality, nutritious, and flavourful food in an environment that champions all who contribute their energy and skill - from the farmer, to the chef, to the service staff. Our service is distinguished by our passion for food and our abiding commitment to sustainable environmental practices whenever possible. Whenever possible, we choose to use food that has been sourced in a socially responsible manner which includes reducing transportation costs, supporting fair-trade practices, and decreasing the dependency on food grown with herbicides. Our commitment includes providing food services in a caring work environment that offers meaningful employment opportunities to all employees. Integral to our Vision is creating a positive and caring atmosphere for all who eat, work, and serve.

On-Campus Sourcing 

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

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
1) Roof top bee hives. 2) Some herbs, micro greens and vegetables are coming from a student led, on-campus gardening initiative (Cultivate UWinnipeg).

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:
Diversity supports a number of community farming projects. For instance, we are one of the largest purchasers for FortWhyte Farms, a ground-breaking social enterprise program that is changing the lives of Winnipeg youth. Working in partnership with a network of schools and youth-serving agencies, Fort Whyte Farms provides young people with hands-on training and immersive experiences in nature linked with the Manitoba Sustainable Development curriculum. It is a place where youth gain belonging, hope and purpose, increased academic capacity, new sources of income, and access to high-quality, locally produced food. https://www.fortwhytefarms.com/

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:
Menus are designed at all campus locations to insure that a minimum of 20% of the menu items on offer are vegan by default. Our LEAF audit confirmed "Diversity offers a wide selection of both vegan and vegetarian main dishes."

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
No

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
No. We just serve food with our impact in mind everyday. It's not a special dinner - it's just good business.

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:
We just serve largely food that is locally/sustainably procured all the time.

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:
All of our food outlets are focused on four pillars of sustainability: cultural vitality, economic health, environmental responsibility and social equity.

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:
We have a big map of the Province on the wall of the main cafeteria that outlines where the food comes from. At every point of sale, instead of running advertisements, we have slides about our sustainability efforts. We use Twitter and Instagram to promote our own sustainable initiatives, as well as the stories of our farmers and suppliers. We give presentations at conferences and in classrooms about sustainable procurement in food services and social enterprise development within institutional settings.

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:
Diversity's executive management team speaks frequently at conferences and trade shows about sustainable procurement in the hospitality industry in an attempt to further mobilize the knowledge we've gained as a front runner in sustainable food services.

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:
Diversity is quadruple bottom line social enterprise committed to Social / Cultural / Economic and Environmental sustainability. Because the bulk of our workforce is individuals marginalized from traditional employment, we ensure that staff have access to benefits programs and are paid fairly to lift people out of poverty. We also work with our employees so they can cook authentic international cuisine from their countries of origin, In addition to in-house social sustainability efforts, we help local community non-profits to put food in their soup kitchens, run successful food based fundraisers, and more.

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?:
No

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
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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 don't offer trays in our cafeterias or restaurants.

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:
Last year's food recipients included: Campus food bank Agape Table Siloam Mission New Immigrant Centre

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:
All kitchen cooking oils are converted to bio-fuel.

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:
The University is currently partnered with The Forks North Portage in its composting efforts. All food waste from Diversity foods is sent to The Forks for composting.

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:
The University has over 60 post-consumer compost collection sites throughout campus. These bins collect the compostable take-out containers used by food service providers as well as food scraps and napkins. Compost is collected by The Forks North Portage and composted in their Biovator.

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:
About 70% of the meals we serve on campus are on re-usable plates, bowls, coffee mugs, water glasses, metal cutlery, etc.

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:
All of the packaging materials, cutlery, napkins, straws, and coffee cups/lids we use are compostable. Again, compost collection bins can be found around campus, including at least two in each of our dining halls.

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:
Customers save 55 cents to get a beverage in a re-usable cup vs. a compostable one.

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)?:
Yes

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
We buy our farmers re-usable tubs to deliver product to us. All Coffee is shipped in compostable 30 kg bags. Wherever possible, food is processed on-site to minimize packaging.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.diversityfoodservices.com/

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.