Friday, September 5, 2008
Our full program is explained below – this top section is the short version.
Dining Services is committed to protecting the environment and to helping you do your part as we work together to green the campus and our operations.
We:
· Installed filtered water stations in the dining rooms so you can refill your water bottle or jug.
· Put napkins on the tables rather than at the silverware stands so you can take only what you need.
· Distribute reusable mugs and offer refills at a discount.
· Recycle, and provide recycling containers in our offices, dining rooms, and cafes.
· Grow tomatoes and herbs on the roof of the Diner.
· Minimize pre-consumer food waste and send it to a local food bank whenever it’s practical.
· Compost pre- and post- consumer food waste.
· Installed energy efficient equipment and design our new facilities to be energy efficient.
· Clean with environmentally responsible products and processes.
· Understand that packaging and transportation impact the environmental footprint of the food we serve and the products we use. We take these factors into consideration when making purchasing decisions.
We ask that you:
· Eat in whenever you can.
· Use carryout only when you are carrying out.
· Reduce your use of disposable packaging as much as possible.
· Recycle and compost whenever you can.
· Use appropriate receptacles when discarding waste.
Here’s our full program:
Environmental Programs and Practices
Dining Services has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. Our approach is a comprehensive and ongoing process guided by campus and community experts. Our goal is to help ensure that resources used for today’s needs remain available for future generations while meeting our current guests’ needs in a cost effective and responsible manner.
1. Waste Reduction
Triple Filtered Water Purification – Stations in the seating areas of both resident dining rooms allow guests to refill reusable water bottles for free instead of purchasing single use bottled water.
Reusable Mugs – Partnering with Resident Life, reusable hot/cold mugs are being distributed to resident students for use with coffee, tea and fountain sodas at a reduced price in resident dining rooms, C-Stores and Satellite operations that accept the resident meal plan.
Cook to order – Small batch cooking (which is more operationally complex) results in higher food quality and dramatically reduces leftovers and waste.
Napkins – Have been relocated to dining room tables instead of the serving line resulting in a 50% reduction in usage.
Micro-filtration — In 2005, we began micro-filtration to extend the life of cooking oils. By getting greater use out of the oils wb buy, we have reduced our use of cooking oil by over 50%.
Paperwork – The use of Optix document management systems resulted in the use of 50,730 fewer sheets of paper.
2. Salvage and Reuse
Pre-consumer leftovers – While we strive to minimize unsold leftovers, food that may not be efficiently reused in a timely method but is still safe for consumption is donated to the DC Central Kitchen for distribution to area homeless shelters.
Equipment and supplies – We send excess working, used equipment and supplies to Terrapin Trader for sale or we recycle the equipment within our units. Footnotes Cafe in McKeldin Library was built entirely from equipment and supplies that were repaired or modified for the space. 50% of the equipment used for expansion of the Commons Shop was reclaimed from other locations. Equipment that has outlived its useful life and cannot be repaired is dismantled and components are recycled.
3. Waste Recycling
Dining Services works with EnviRelation LLC to compost pre- and post-consumer food wastes in the Diner, South Campus Dining Room, Denton/Catering and at the Student Union. Last year, the average amount of food waste that was composed each month increased from 10 tons in 2006 to up to 28 tons during the academic year. We replant oyster shells in the Chesapeake Bay after every oyster roast to revitalize local oyster beds. We set up compost stations for food waste at large special events including Maryland Day, the SGA Crab Fest, and the SGA Spring Barbecue.
Compostable plates, cups, forks, spoons and knives were tested during Maryland Day, the Student Affairs End of Year Celebration, and the SGA Spring Barbecue. Issues still exist with respect to cost, availability and capture into the composting stream, but all items were well received by the users.
Dining Service currently recycles the following items:
· Cardboard (the resident Dining Rooms are the largest cardboard recycling source on campus)
· Used Cooking Oils and Greases
· Mixed Paper
· Motor Oils
· Batteries
· Fluorescent Light Tubes
· Glass
· Refrigerants
· Metals
· Plastics
· Toner Cartridges
17 Recycling containers and 4 recycling bins have been placed near the exits of campus dining locations to allow guests to recycle newspapers, mixed paper, bottles, plastic and glass. All used cooking oils are sent to Smarter Fuel where they are converted to biodiesel fuel. Waste grease is sent to be recycled into other products. During the academic year over 7,500 pounds of cooking oils are recycled monthly.
All Dining Services office workstations now have mixed paper-recycling bins.
4. Public Information/Education
Waste Recycling, Reuse and Reduction: The Green Dining Program is featured on the D.S. website and on posters and promotional materials.
Dining Services teamed up with Cathy Guisewite, author of the comic strip “Cathy” to promote the use of tap water over bottled water. A “Cathy” Sunday comic was devoted to the environmental effect of disposable plastic water bottles and is used to promote the Triple Filtered Water Bottle Stations.
The “Why Bottle” campaign encourages guests in C-Stores and Satellite operations to utilize reusable mugs for fountain sodas rather than bottles.
The Department actively promotes and participates in Recyclemania. Staff members participated with displays at Earth Day and by being panel members on sustainability discussions. Staff members also serve on the Student Affairs Environment Committee and the Campus Climate Action Plan Workgroup.
Dining Services works with the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and other student groups to provide information and education about recycling and environmental concerns in general as well as specifically encouraging dining room guests to use china, glasses and flatware while eating IN the dining rooms. This objective is included in our orientation video, most publications and in posters and table tents at the start of each semester.
Written environmental and recycling expectations are included in every staff member’s performance review and development program and our employee training includes a session on environmental issues, including composting and recycling policies.
Joe Mullineaux presented during a nation-wide web conference hosted by R & I and Chain Leader magazines on Green Dining. He also led a Green Dining Panel at the NACUFS Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and is presenting the operators perspective in a key note presentation entitled “The Sustainability Triangle” at the International Food Service Distributors Association National Conference.
Greg Thompson, aka “Mr. Compost”, has been featured in the 2007 UM Sustainability Report, Food Service Director Magazine, and the Diamondback for his composting work and his roof gardens that grow organic herbs using irrigation from refrigeration condensation and recycled materials such as rain barrels maded from carbonated beverage syrup containers.
5. Energy and Water Conservation:
Dining Services is exploring exhaust hood technology from Intelli-Hood to reduce heating, cooling and electricity usage with variable control exhaust hoods. With this technology, the average cooking exhaust hood can reduce heating usage by 417,058 KBTU per year, cooling usage by 36,357 KBTU per year and electric usage by 26,130 KWHR per year. This is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 12 Maryland homes. Dining Services has 12 exhaust hoods where this technology could be utilized so even greater energy and financial savings could be realized.
All dishwashing machines and ware washing equipment have been replaced with energy efficient steam heated equipment that uses only 70% of the water required by the old machines. In addition, the steam used to heat the water is recycled. This saves approximately 80,000 gallons of water per month. As a point of reference, the average Maryland citizen uses 100 gallons of water per day, so this would represent the water used by 26 Maryland residents.
The first installation of a new Opti Rinse technology dish-machine will be completed this summer, using “large droplet” S-shaped rinse to reduce water consumption by more than 50% and energy usage by more than 50% compared to our current high efficiency dish machines.
All water-cooled refrigerator systems have been replaced with air cooled systems or closed loop cooling tower systems. This eliminates the need for any water usage in the refrigeration systems that previously needed over 150,000 gallons of water yearly.
Energy efficient “Combi Ovens have started replacing older gas convention ovens. These ovens are more efficient and the steam and convection cooking process cuts cooking time leading to greater energy savings.
In 2005, all the 31-year-old windows in South Campus Dining Hall were replaced with new energy-efficient insulated windows; the roof and ductwork in the Diner were insulated and inefficient 25-year-old air conditioning systems were replaced with energy efficient environmentally friendly systems. We anticipate this will reduce the energy required for heating and cooling by 10-15 percent.
All incandescent lighting in production, storage and office areas is being switched to compact fluorescent bulbs as the older bulbs burn out. All public restrooms and all storage areas have had motion detectors installed on lighting systems that automatically turn the lights off when the spaces are not in use. All non-production hallways have had the lighting levels reduced by 50 percent.
6. Building Design and Project Standards:
We work with campus design and construction professionals to ensure all buildings and remodeling projects are in compliance with campus regulations with respect to facility design and performance as well as construction methods and standards. Working with the Division of Student Affairs, we are developing standards to ensure all renovate facilities qualify for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. Dining Services is also working with the Division of Student Affairs to create divisional building standards and to have two staff members LEED accredited.
7. Product Purchasing:
The 700 cases of paper towels used annually contain a minimum of 90% recycled fiber with a minimum of 40% post consumer recycled fiber. The 1500 cases of dinner napkins and the 600 cases of cocktail napkins used annually contain a minimum of 95% recycled fiber.
Dining Services only purchases fish and seafood meeting the “best choices” or “good alternatives” categories for sustainability as determined by Seafood Watch or the Marine Stewardship Council.
Dining Services evaluates the packaging of all its products from the manufacturers. Many suppliers, including Pepsi and Frito Lay, reuse packaging in which their products are delivered.
We purchase many products, including ketchup and pickles in pouch packages that are lighter in weight and use less material than traditional packaging. This reduces the amount of waste, and the lighter weight saves fuel during shipping.
We require our suppliers to pick up and reuse wood shipping pallets.
Our retail locations offer fair trade shade grown organic coffees at the same price as traditional coffees through a special arrangement with our supplier. Our dining rooms serve only fair trade coffee that is produced using environmentally friendly methods.
We are using bio-diesel fuels in all our diesel powered vehicles and are only purchasing new vehicles capable of utilizing alternative fuels including Compressed Natural Gas. The Convenience Shops have started to switch the retail inventory of light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent.
8. Outdoor Environment
Dining Services uses biodegradable cleaning products especially in areas (e.g. loading docks) where the products could reach the storm water system and impact water quality. We have constructed containment devices to prevent cooking oils from leaking and entering streams or the storm water collection system. We will be testing ‘green’ ware washing detergents and rinse agents during summer 2008.
We have converted or purchased over 1000 refrigeration systems to more environmentally friendly HCFC refrigerants. We have also replaced several vehicles with alternately fueled vehicles including Compressed Natural Gas.
All Dining Services Facilities utilize an integrated pest management system to minimize the usage of chemicals.
9. Short Term and Long Term Goals:
We are working with Facilities Management to expand our recycling of glass and plastics. We are also continuing energy conservation programs and staff education.
We are currently having an assessment conducted to examine the feasibility of green roof technology for use during the upcoming renovating of Denton/Catering. This initiative could result in lower energy use in these buildings, could cool the surrounding area in the summer, provide a better view to students in nearby residence halls, clean the air and provide a space to grow organic herbs for use in recipes.
We are exploring hybrid electric trucks to replace aging gasoline powered trucks and are working with Facilities Management to explore waste to energy programs utilizing waste oils, food waste, polystyrene and other Dining Services waste products.
We will continue to explore cost effective carryout alternatives that offer guest convenience and reduced environmental impact.
We are continuing to educate staff on their part in making our environmental plan work effectively.
One of the four department initiatives for FY09 is the creation of a comprehensive sustainability program. A work team has been formed to review all of Dining Services current sustainability efforts and to recommend a strategy for prioritizing our work. Questions about increasing our composting, reducing our use of to-go items, looking at different take-out packaging options and creating an educational campaign will be explored.
Updated June 23, 2008
