Sustainability

Our Initiatives

It is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine with us. We know today's college students want to do the right thing for the planet and we also understand you lead busy lives, so your Sodexo chefs and managers do a lot of the work for you behind the scenes! This commitment was formalized with Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan. The Better Tomorrow Plan includes 18 commitments for a brighter future by focusing on four key priorities: health, planet, community and our people.

Green Cleaning

92 percent of the chemicals Sodexo uses are “Green Seal” certified, concentrated or sustainable.

Local Dairy

All of our fluid milk is purchased from local dairies that do not use rBST.

Local Suppliers

We work closely with local produce distributors to maximize the fruits and vegetables purchased from local farms. We also purchase from local dairies, and participate in farm to school initiatives. Tracking local purchases helps us to meet our Better Tomorrow Plan commitment of 20 percent local purchase by 2020.

Recycling

We recycle bottles, cans, glass, cardboard, and fryer oil. We are exploring the process of coffee grounds recycling.

Reusable To-Go Containers

Getting your meal to go from Grand Dining Hall and Reinert To Go? Take part in our Reusable To-Go Container program for only $5. Visit your local residential dining hall today. To-Go Containers are available at Reinert To Go and Grand Dining Hall.

Sustainable Catering

All it takes are a few simple steps to host more sustainable catered events. We feature menus that are locally grown, seasonal, organic, vegetarian and/or well balanced. We use china serviceware whenever possible, but if necessary, we try to use compostable and/or recyclable disposableware. We strive to eliminate bottled beverages when possible by replacing them with pitchers of drinks and reusable glassware.

Sustainable Seafood

One specific example of a healthy choice we provide that is good for both you and the planet is with the seafood offered on your campus. Your Sodexo team is committed to sourcing 100 percent of our contracted seafood from sustainable sources. We are working with our suppliers and distribution partners to phase out seafood that is not certified by either the Marine Stewardship Council or the Global Aquaculture Alliance's Best Aquaculture Practices Program. We are pleased that we were able to increase how much we spend on sustainable seafood significantly in both the United States and Canada.

Trayless Dining

By dining trayless, you have helped positively impact the waste stream. Dining trayless minimizes food waste, conserves energy and water, and reduces the amount of cleaning chemicals entering the waste stream.

Waste Reduction

Reducing organic and inorganic waste are other areas in which we are committed to working with our campus partners to make a real difference. University Dining Services utilizes reusable cups, plates, and utensils, train employees on waste reduction to reduce the amount of food, packaging, energy, and other resources that are wasted.

Xprss Nap

Xprss Nap Dispensers save energy and waste. The napkins are made of 100 percent recycled paper and the dispenser encourages our customers to take (and waste) fewer napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material.