Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 61.55
Liaison Melissa Cadwell
Submission Date Jan. 7, 2022

STARS v2.2

Syracuse University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Melissa Cadwell
Sustainability Coordinator
Energy Systems & Sustainability Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Sustainable dining initiatives

Local community engagement

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, 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:
University sponsored CSA - Is offered each fall semester. It is a 9 week share and is open to all Universality faculty, staff, and students.

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:
We offer a Core Life Eater on campus.
"CoreLife Eatery to bring clean, healthy and great tasting foods to everyone every day. We feature hearty bowls that are complete meals in themselves featuring greens, grains and bone broths. All of our ingredients are free of GMO’s, trans fats, artificial colors, sweeteners and other artificial additives. Our chicken and steak are sustainably raised, and never ever given antibiotics or hormones. We buy local when and where we can, in fact, check out our “local” wall to see what’s in season around us. We also believe that hiring local team members to prepare our food, and paying them well, is much better than having it come “ready to eat” from a manufacturing plant across the country".

Inclusive and local sourcing

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor support disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its food and beverage purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
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Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
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Low-impact dining

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
Food services works with the SU Health and Wellness department and hosts Meatless Mondays.
They also host a Local Foods theme dinner, in the five dining centers, for Campus Sustainability Month in October. The food for this event is a local, within 250 miles or 500 miles for meat, and all New York state food products are served, including, proteins, vegetables, desserts, starches, fruit and beverages.

The dining centers have also had a A+ rating from PETA for their vegetarian and vegan food options

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 and vegetarian options are available at all meals and in all dining centers and cash operations. Vegan and vegetarian items are clearly labeled. There is a main entrée offered at each meal and is available in its own area on its own service line, to ensure no cross contamination can occur. All students have access to all these items. Everyday vegan and vegetarian items can also be found interspersed with other items along the service line, and are clearly marked.

Labelling and signage 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labelling and signage in dining halls?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
Yes, each item is clearly labeled and the dining centers have instituted a QR Code system for diners to look up the content of all items.

Part 2. Food waste minimization and recovery

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:
The student run Food Recovery Network focuses on social justice and waste reduction. They work with the dining halls on campus to transport extra food items from the dining centers to local not for profit charities in need of donated food items.
https://foodservices.syr.edu/aboutus/sustainability/#FRN

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:
All dining centers are trayless. In addition, every new student is given a reusable water bottle, no single serve beverages are given out, and a reusable takeout container for meals on the go.

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:
Yes, through the Food Recovery Network Syracuse University donates any left over
food to shelters in the area and donates any perishable items when school is not in session.
The Carrier Dome athletic center donates leftovers food to the Rescue Mission following all major events.

Other campus events through campus catering are donate to Rescue Mission.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Used oil is picked up by a third party rendering company.

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:
Food Services ensures all their pre-consumer food scraps are delivered to Onondaga Country Resource composting faculty. https://foodservices.syr.edu/aboutus/sustainability/#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:
Food services collects all post-consumer food scraps and it is delivered to Onondaga Country Resource Recovery Agency's Compost Site in Camillus, NY where the process of becoming compost begins. https://foodservices.syr.edu/aboutus/sustainability/#composting

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:
Yes, the dining centers use all reusable tableware, plates forks, etc. There are reusable takeout containers for students as they are allowed to take one out at a time but can keep renewing them as much as their meal plan allows them too.

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:
Campus cafes, student centers and food courts use PLA pastic and/or sugar cane base take out containers or recyclable plastic containers. Polystyrene cups have been eliminated from the Dunkin’ Donuts and Freshens franchises on campus as well.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
In an effort to cut back on the number of cups used each day, SUFS cafes invite faculty and staff to be a part of their Mug Club. Instead of using a disposable cup for a beverage, the Mug Club encourages sustainability by giving a discount to anyone using the Mug Club. There are several other discounts throughout the week as well as monthly specials. https://sustainability.syr.edu/campus/fooddining/

Optional Fields

A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
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Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
http://www.syr.edu/currentstudents/studenthandbook/campus_resources/diningmealplans.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://foodservices.syr.edu/aboutus/sustainability/

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