Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.64
Liaison Sean MacInnes
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of North Carolina, Greensboro
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Sarah Lynch
RDM Foodservice
Dining
"---" 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 Educational Dining Services has a policy to support sustainability. http://www.chartwellsschools.com/Pages/Content.aspx?ItemID=22 Chartwells is committed to the environment and sustainability initiatives that enrich our student’s lives, and our communities. We: Champion local farmers and fair trade. Reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken. Promote farm animal welfare through the use of cage-free shell eggs as a customized solution for interested districts. Use dairies for milk and yogurt that do not treat cows with growth hormone. Choose vendors that have established standards regarding the humane treatment of animals. Commit to healthier oceans with sustainable seafood purchasing policies. Promote locally grown produce and support local farms for Chartwells partner school districts​

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:
Food is sourced from local farms, contractors, and through campus garden projects. Cage free eggs are always used, and milk products are from local and regional dairy operations.

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 supports the on-campus garden, promotes and supports on-campus farmer's market operations, and annual Farm to Fork event. We continually partner with sustainability-focused students and faculty to develop new programs.

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:
UNCG Dining Services ensures that all diners with special dietary considerations are guaranteed a vegan or vegetarian. UNCG Dining has a service section of the Dining Center set aside for vegetarian and vegan options. Menus are available on the Dining web site and at the service location. New map of where to find such selections across campus is on our website www.dineoncampus.com/uncg

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:
Contractor has daily (not just 1x/week) meatless entrees and sides, vegan offerings, and reduced portion sizes. See: https://www.dineoncampus.com/uncg/sustainability

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:
Daily meals feature trayless dining, and reduced portion sizes to reduce waste. Annual Farm to Fork celebration sources local goods from sustainable raised conditions.

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:
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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:
Food is labeled at each station and each area. Sustainable (local produce, local dairy, local meats) are indicated, as are food with smaller portions, meat-free, and vegan.

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:
https://www.dineoncampus.com/uncg/balanced-u Icons on food items guide students to healthier food options, including reduced portion size, sustainable food, local produce, local/regional seafood, meatless items, and vegan options.

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:
Several times a semester, culturally-based theme meals are provided to students at the dining halls. This may be internationally-based foods, by country; regional specialties; or local items where student-submitted recipes are scaled for food service production.

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:
Food Waste Warriors encourages students to reduce food waste by only taking the amount of food they will eat. Graphs are posted in the campus dining center which represent the amount of food waste produced at UNCG. Dining Services believes that through setting goals, educating diners, giving rewards and making charitable contributions, FWW helps raise social awareness on campus. It is implemented in the Spartan Restaurant at the beginning of each semester.

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:
A program to remove trays from campus dining facilities began in 2008. During 2013-14, approximately 95% of meals served on campus were "trayless." Starting in 2015, all meals are served trayless.

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:
Excess food is donated to the Food Waste Network, Spartan Pantry and the Urban Ministry of Greensboro, NC, an ecumenical outreach agency that provides crisis intervention and emergency services in part by providing the basics of food and shelter. The Ministry also helps individuals and families break the cycles of poverty, hunger, addiction, and homelessness. Its work is supported by more than 200 congregations.

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:
Oils and fats are collected for biofuel and other purposes, food waste is ground, dried, and used for compost and animal feed.

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:
For the past 5 years, UNCG Dining Services has had an active composting program which is picked up by a local company (Gallins Family Farms) to haul food waste and other compostables from the Dining Hall and Catering Operations on campus to their facility in Davie County, NC. The Dining Services staff collects pre-consumer food waste from kitchen preparation areas and post-consumer waste which is placed in a specially marked compost bins located behind the Dining Hall. Gallins services the bins two-three days a week.

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:
Since February of 2011, UNCG Dining Services has partnered with a local Composting Service (Gallins Family Farms currently) to haul post-consumer food waste from its Dining Hall and Catering Operations. All compostable materials are collected at the "back of the house" by UNCG Dining Services staff. UNCG's Catering Services group provides additional food and material waste pickups at events utilizing compostable service ware and takes these wastes to the specially marked compost dumpster at the Dining Hall. All disposable service products used for catering functions are 100% compostable. These include paper fiber plates, starch cold cups, paper hot cups, starch knife, fork, spoon, wood stirrers, paper napkins & starch straws. The food waste and compostable serviceware is allowed to compost (PLA plastic utensils, paper plates, paper cups) and be fully reutilized. Food scraps and disposables from catering are added to the main dining compost stream which is picked up by the commercial compost hauler.

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:
All "dine in" meals are provided on reusable plates, cups, utensils, 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:
Compostable materials are used for catering to go meals.

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:
Our refillable mug program gives customers a discount on coffee and soda refills while protecting the environment by reducing the amount of disposables utilized on campus. Mugs are sold in retail dining 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:
Working with Sysco and other vendors to reduce the amount of packaging materials used for shipping and delivery.

Optional Fields 

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

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.