Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.15
Liaison Jessica Bilecki
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of the Pacific
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Jessica Bilecki
Sustainability Director
Sustainability
"---" 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:
Every Thursday around lunch time during the school year Corn Poppy Produce comes to sell produce at the University Center. Corn Poppy Produce, part of Puentes's incubator program was founded in 2019 by Jessica Bryant after she managed PUENTES's Healthy Retail Program for three years. Corn Poppy strives to produce healthy, quality food and support local farmers who are using ethical practices in an attempt to bridge the gap between local farmers and their communities. They accept cash or meal points as payment.

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:
One of the stations at The Marketplace (main dining facility) is called "Herbivore" and features vegan and vegetarian, planet-forward foods.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Through their Farm to Fork initiative Bon Appetit Management Company requires chefs to purchase at least 20% of their ingredients from small farms and ranches located within 150 miles of their kitchens. They support farms where the owners live on or nearby the land and work it themselves.

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:
Once a month, the Bon Appetit chef holds an info session called Food for Your Well Being for the students in the Marketplace. The chef speaks with students about nutrition and provides healthy recipes and samples for the students. Bon Appetit also encourages students to use reusable boxes, plates and service ware instead of single use items such as paper boxes.

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:
One of the stations at The Marketplace (main dining facility) is called "Herbivore" and features vegan and vegetarian, plant-forward foods. It is available to everyone.

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:
There is an information table just outside the main Stockton food facility with regularly updated informational flyers and pamphlets regarding food sources, such as "Seafood Watch", initiatives such as "Eat Local Challenge" and other food/dining related sustainability practices. Table tents at the Sacramento and Stockton campuses also share this information.

On the daily menus both online and in the dining areas, meals are clearly labeled when they are Farm to Fork, Humane and/or Locally Crafted.

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?:
No

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Once a year Bon appetite separates and weighs consumer waste and kitchen waste. Results are used to educate staff to watch what is wasted and what is useable food.

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:
Bon Appetit serves food only on plates and in compostable to-go containers. Meals are pre-portioned and there are no buffet options which reduces post-consumer food waste.

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:
Bon Appetit donates food 6x/week to St. Mary's Dining Room in Stockton which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to community members facing food insecurity.

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:
Fry oil at the Stockton campus is picked up by a local third party company. Fry oil at the Sacramento campus is recycled by Sacramento 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:
Bon Appetit collects all food waste from the prepping areas and takes them to the compost bins for pickup by Republic Services.

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:
During the day, all waste at The Marketplace (main dining facility) is placed on the dish return and sorted back-of-the-house. Food scraps are collected and taken to the compost bins for pickup by Republic Services. When the dish return is closed for the night, a 3-bin system is brought out to collect compost, recycling and landfill waste until the dish return is opened up again.

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:
Pacific provides all reusable service ware for dine in meals unless otherwise stated by the student for a to-go container. If the student does not have a subscription to a reusable eco-clam (or does not want to purchase it for $5.00), then they can purchase a compostable container for .50 cents per occasion.

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:
Students who choose not to use Tiger To-Go will receive their to-go food in a compostable paper clamshell with an addition $0.50 charge. Bon Appetit offers both compostable utensils and reusable metal utensils at The Marketplace. Students may dispose of compostable containers at collection bins in the library and at the dining facility.

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:
Bon Appetit and Sustaining Pacific collaborate on a subscription program called Tiger To-Go. Students can purchase a reusable clamshell (eco-clam) or a reusable coffee cup for $5.00. When finished using the item, they can either clean it themselves or return it to The Marketplace (main dining facility) for a clean replacement or a wooden token for their next use. The eco-clam and coffee cup are interchangeable. The Calaveras Coffee shop offers a ten cent discount on beverages for customers who provide a reusable mug.

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:
https://pacific.cafebonappetit.com/wellness#sustainability

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Dining Services has also started a new labeling program which highlights: farm to fork, locally crafted, organic, seafood watch, humane, well-being, in balance, vegetarian, vegan and made without gluten-containing ingredients.

Raw data provided by Sia Mohsenzadegan in Dining Services and compiled by Sustainability Staff.

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.