Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	66.33
Liaison	Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date	Jan. 29, 2018
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00	Brian Kermath Sustainability Director Sustainability Office

"---" 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:

http://www.sodexousa.com/home/corporate-responsibility.html Sodexo has stated a corporate commitment to environmentally responsible sourcing and community building.

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:

Three Tower Gardens for lettuce for salads.

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:

Sodexo hosts a farmer's market one time during the fall semester with produce available from one of their vendors as well as local farms and producers. They also support the maintenance of 3 aeroponic tower gardens in the Blackhawk Commons dining facility which provide greens for the salad bar.

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:

Daily at all locations on campus there are vegetarian and vegan deli and to-go options like snack boxes, veggies & hummus, or yogurt parfaits. In Blackhawk on a daily basis there is a oatmeal for breakfast and a vegan bar with freshly made salsas, prepared salads, and corn chips for lunch and dinner. Create-your-own stations like the Salad Bar, Pasta Bar, Sub Connection, and Wholly Habeneros have vegetarian and vegan options. At least one of three soups in Blackhawk daily is vegan, two selections of pizza are vegetarian. Dairy milk alternatives are provided.

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:

Meatless Mondays and Fair Trade Fridays have been used during the past three years and those programs are being evaluated for continuance.

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:

During special events for Earth Charter and Earth Day Dining utilizes as much organic and local produce as it can and we advertise as much.

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:

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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:

Residence life programmers have a monthly rotating sustainability signage plan and at least one discusses the ecological (water, carbon etc) and/or social impacts of choices such as fair trade, organic, or plant-based foods. Signage in Blackhawk reminds students of these impacts and signage at all cafes reminds students of fair trade practices and impacts.

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:

Food interns through the sustainability office and environmental studies program participate in the Real Food Challenge. In addition, they help to schedule food-based educational events such as film screenings and talks.

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:

The “Mindful” program by Sodexo includes menu labeling, scannable QR codes to look up nutritional information, integration of Sodexo recipes into My Fitness Pal, and sales of Fit Bits which work with My Fitness Pal. All of these help promote healthy eating and lifestyles. Sodexo also hosts "Taste of Nations" once per month, focusing on different cultural cuisine each time to give students a taste of international foods.

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:

Production Records predict how much of each food to make for a meal based on historical information. These are used in conjunction with batch cooking to minimize waste. In many locations foods are cooked in small batches and toward the end of service periods, foods are cooked more to order. Pre-cleaned produce reduces organic waste by reducing the trimming waste. Commercial produce providers do this centrally which maximizes yields, minimizes waste and can give better control over where that waste goes. This has not changed since last year.

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 have a good way to separate this out from pre-consumer organic waste however we no longer use trays in Blackhawk Commons, which reduces post-consumer waste typically by about 16% to 18%. Line servers ask student for their preferred portion size/amount prior to it being put on the plate. Customers can request additional portions if they want more. Plates returning to the dish return are monitored during meal periods to note any excess waste trends which may be caused by a product issue or a portioning issue. Action is taken immediately with the appropriate server or, in the case of food being too salty for instance, removal from the serving line until it has been properly prepared.

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:

When practical, food is sent to the Oshkosh Community Food Pantry. In particular, prepared foods and ingredients are sent there prior to closing dining services for winter, spring, and summer breaks.

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:

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:

All pre-consumer and post-consumer organic waste from Blackhawk and pre-consumer organic waste from Reeve is diverted to a commercial-scale anaerobic biodigester which produces the equivalent of ~8% (3,300 MW) of the University's electrical energy needs. The digestate is then sent to a local landscaping company to be processed into compost before being bagged and sold as Titan Gold.

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:

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:

In our Catering and Blackhawk All You Care To Eat locations melamine or china serviceware; stainless steel flatware; and glass, plastic or china cups are used. Where possible meals taken to go are wrapped in parchment paper or paper boats instead of disposable foam products.

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)?:

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:

In the past it was reported that the Titan Underground dining location used compostable soup cups, coffee cups, and plastic ware, however there has never been a separate collection for these items. Over 800 reusable water bottles and coffee tumblers are given away at each Chancellor’s Late Night Breakfast in fall and spring.

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:

There is a 10 cent discount on coffee and hot beverages purchased in your own mug or reusable container at all campus coffee locations.

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:

Foods that have been properly monitored and that are left over after catered events are often taken to Father Carr’s Place To Be for their food pantry and meal program. Prior to major break periods such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, perishable product levels are double checked and anything that may not be usable after the break will be donated to Father Carr’s Place To Be.

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.