| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 26.10 |
| Liaison | Rachael Budowle |
| Submission Date | April 29, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Wyoming
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.13 / 2.00 |
Rachael
Budowle Campus Sustainability Committee Chair Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
UW's Sustainable dining policy covers sustainable purchasing, disposal, and resource/ energy use, setting standards on where food is bought and what food the university will buy. It outlines how UW disposes of food waste as well as packaging waste. The policy also sets guideline for energy efficiency and highlights efforts to educate students about resource use around campus dining. Wyoming vendors are given preference. Antibiotic-free items are given preference. Purchasing occurs in bulk when possible to reduce packaging. Some locally sourced items are given preference. Food waste reduction is prioritized through purchasing, donation, composting, and disposal.
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:
UW Residence Life and Dining purchases produce from the ACRES student farm when seasonally available and cannot be sold at the local farmer's market. Some meat products are produced by UW Meat Science program. Bakery items are produced on campus. Some salad greens are produced on-site in dining halls.
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:
ACRES Student Farm is a 1.8 acre vegetable farm that is community oriented, volunteer based, and student run. We grow our produce using sustainable methods and strive to support and promote local agriculture. The Student Farm additionally provides educational and research opportunities for the Laramie and University of Wyoming communities.
The majority of what ACRES does involves cultivating crops that are later sold at the Laramie Farmers' Market and given in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares. ACRES also strives to be sustainable in every respect, so the farm operates using organic methods and practices whenever possible. This means that we greatly restrict use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers with our precious vegetables. Our primary source of fertilizer comes from fish emulsion, an organic fertilizer. We rotate our crops every season and amend the soil with our very own compost, bringing the sustainability full circle; from soil, to crops, to compost, and then back to soil. These sustainable advantages are passed on to you, as our produce travels only a few miles from where it's grown to where it's sold.
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?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
The central dining hall at UW has a vegan dining program available to all students with a meal plan.
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:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
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:
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
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)?:
A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
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:
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:
Trays were removed from the dining hall prior to fall 2017.
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:
Dining Services safely shares extra prepared food to the Laramie Soup Kitchen.
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:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Dining Services composts basic food waste through Acres student farm.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
The main dining hall uses reusable service ware.
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:
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:
All beverage locations offer a discount for customers bringing a reusable coffee mug.
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:
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:
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.