Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Debra Shepard
Submission Date March 6, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Wentworth Institute of Technology
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Debra Shepard
Sustainability Consultant
N/A
"---" 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:
CHARTWELLS SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT With education as the primary focus of our business activity Chartwells is committed to fostering and promoting sustainable business principles to the Wentworth community. Our associates will lead by example through activities that minimize our impact on the environment by practicing the 3Rs, with a primary focus on reduction. Our programs will include the necessary information to encourage informed choices on both the foods we consume, and the ways we interact with the natural environment. Charitable donations, funding scholarships and bursaries, and active volunteerism by our associates are just some of the ways that Chartwells re-invests in our communities. Chartwells Sustainability Focus on Four Key Areas Environment: Minimize our impact on the environment with primary focus on REDUCTION. Our approach is to bring awareness and education and implement best practices were viable for waste management, water conservation, energy efficiency, and pollution control. Purchasing Initiatives: Encourage responsible and sustainable practices in our supply chains. Our purchasing initiatives provide food choices which celebrate flavor, affirm cultural traditions, and support local communities, and include local purchasing, fair trade coffee and sustainable seafood programs. In the Community: Support and encourage charitable initiatives and community reinvestment without associates and partners corporately and locally where we do business. Nutrition & Wellness: Provide programs and education that foster and promote healthful, productive work places and communities for the benefit of our associates and guest. Programs include Balanced U, our healthy lifestyles nutrition program, and healthy work place reward and development program.

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
No

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Chartwells will regularly host farmers market events (seasonally from spring through fall) in the dining hall to educate the campus community about its partnerships with local farms.

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:
Vegan items are labeled in the daily menu: https://new.dineoncampus.com/cof/whats-on-the-menu

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:
Be A Flexitarian The "Be A Flexitarian" initiative encourages our guests to eat no meat at least once a week. This initiative helps diminish the environmental impact of animal production, especially as it relates to beef and greenhouse gas emissions. Chartwells also promoted #StopFoodWaste Day and its program to use of "Imperfectly Delicious" produce.

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:
Chartwells hosts periodic events such as "Earth Day" themed meals in April, and harvest dinners in the fall featuring local produce.

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?:
No

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:
Signage at the entrance of the dining hall describes Chartwells' sustainability commitment and provides prompts near options such as local produce. Labels (vegan, vegetarian, sustainable) are also available on the online menu and mobile app.

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:
Chartwells issues monthly sustainability newsletters: https://new.dineoncampus.com/cof/new-sustainability-newsletter

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 dining vendor offers culturally diverse options, wellness initiatives, and dietary accommodations for those with medical conditions (such as gluten-free, allergen-free, etc.)

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:
Love Food, Not Waste Love Food Not Waste campaign is designed to increase the awareness of our guests and address concerns about the waste that is created and its cost impact. The campaign focuses on four key areas of waste: food, water, energy and packaging. Our Love Food Not Waste campaign addresses ways that our staff and guests can reduce the amount of waste they produce by encouraging them to change their dining behaviors. Trim Trax Trim Trax is a food waste reduction program that is used by Chartwells to track, measure and reduce the amount of kitchen food waste in our facilities. It is designed to increase operational efficiencies and create awareness about reducing food waste and its environmental impact. This program has been extremely successful to date in reducing waste year over 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?:
No

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

Food Donation 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
No

A brief description of the food donation program:
---

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:
Waste vegetable oil is sent to an off-site facility to be processed into biofuel.

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 dining contractor has a program to collect food scraps from the kitchen, which are then hauled to an off-site composting facility. Over 30 tons of food scraps are collected each year.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
No

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Wentworth is in the process of rolling out post-consumer food waste collection in the cafeteria (pilot basis).

Dine-In Service Ware 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
No

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Dishwashing facilities are not available so re-useable service ware is not an option.

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:
To-go meals are served primarily in compostable cartons or recyclable plastic containers.

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:
Campus community members can bring their reusable mug in the cafeteria for discounted refills ($1).

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)?:
No

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
---

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://new.dineoncampus.com/cof/sustainability

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Operational Scope: Please note that Wentworth's dining facility also provides catering services for several other colleges within the Colleges of the Fenway.

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