Food & Dining
Introduction
Modern industrial food production often has deleterious environmental and social impacts. Institutions can use their food purchases to support their local economies; encourage safe, environmentally friendly and humane farming methods; and help eliminate unsafe working conditions and alleviate poverty for farmers. These actions help reduce environmental impacts, preserve regional farmland, improve local food security, and support fair and resilient food systems. Dining services can also support sustainable food systems by preventing food waste and diverting food materials from the waste stream, by making low impact dining options available, and by educating its customers about more sustainable options and practices.
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University of Tasmania community gardens designed for accessibility
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
The new University of Tasmania campus at Inveresk in Launceston, Tasmania hosts the largest publicly accessible community garden in Australia, which encompasses over 650 square meters of growing space. The …
- Posted June 6, 2025
- Photographs
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Food Recovery Efforts at the University of Dayton
- University of Dayton (OH)
The Food Recovery Network chapter at the University of Dayton helps fight both the issue of hunger and food waste by collecting, transporting, and donating food each week from dining …
- Posted April 28, 2025
- Case Studies
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Spartans Celebrate at the Go Green Go Earth Event
- Michigan State University (MI)
Spartans celebrated Earth Month by attending our annual event celebrating the environment and sustainability. The Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) in collaboration with the MSU Office hosted sustainability …
- Posted April 28, 2025
- Photographs
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UMass Lowell: Growing garlic and minds in the heart of the city!
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
The Asian American Center for Excellence and Engagement (AACEE) at UMass Lowell is dedicated to supporting the university's growing Asian American community. AACEE provides a variety of resources tailored to …
- Posted April 3, 2025
- Photographs
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Building Circular Systems of Food Waste Management: A Research Approach Toward Empowering Campus and Community
- Iowa State University (IA)
This project will identify college campuses that have a food waste management program and examine the connections between the program and surrounding community, capitalizing on the benefits that each party …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Cultivating Resilience: Compost, Education & Community Empowerment
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Organic waste reduction and diversion are two of the easiest approaches to mitigate climate change and address global warming. Converting organic waste into compost provides a pathway to reduce the …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Composting for Sustainability - Food Scraps and Organics Management on Campus
- California State University, Sacramento (CA)
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- University of Southern California (CA)
- University of Vermont (VT)
Composting is nature's climate champion. From soil fertility to carbon sequestration to nurturing biodiversity and energy generation, the management of food scraps and organic waste has come a long way …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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TASTE Food: The Automated Scope 3 Tool for Tracking Emissions From Food
- Stanford University (CA)
Currently, estimating purchased food emissions requires time intensive methods and cost prohibitive software which are limited to estimating emissions based on spend. To improve this process, The Automated Scope 3 …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Building A Campus Food Recovery Project
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Learn about food recovery innovations at Swarthmore College and the University of Pittsburgh!This session will provide an overview of the Food Lockers program at the University of Pittsburgh and the …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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The Impact of Plant-Forward Menus in University Dining Halls
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
- The Humane Society of the United States (MD)
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the environmental impacts of our food choices, spurring an increased demand for plant-based options among young people. This presentation delves …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Regionalizing the Food System While Achieving Sustainability Goals: NIU's Edible Campus Program
- Northern Illinois University (IL)
In response to the critical need for regionalization of our food system heightened by the challenges of the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, Northern Illinois University (NIU) launched the innovative Edible …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Toolkit to help Understand and Manage Campus Food Waste
- Clarkson University (NY)
- St. Lawrence University (NY)
Join us to start to develop an understanding of how and where your campus generates food waste (FW) and then how you can use that to lay out a framework …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Transforming Campus Food Systems: Cutting Scope 3 Emissions with Plant-Based Defaults
- University of San Diego (CA)
- Better Food Foundation (DC)
Join us for an inspiring, interactive networking session focused on transforming campus food systems to reduce Scope 3 emissions. If you’re a sustainability professional, faculty member, or advocate aiming to …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges to Increase Sustainable Food on UC Campuses
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
- SupplyChange
In 2023, the University of California launched a project to determine the key barriers and opportunities to increase procurement of local and sustainable food across our ten campuses throughout California, …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Real Food Standards 3.0 & AASHE STARS
- Real Food Challenge (AZ)
In 2021 Real Food Challenge (RFC) aligned values-based standards for real food with the partners in Anchors in Action (AiA): Healthcare Without Harm and The Center for Good Food Purchasing. …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Shifting Food Norms in Gen Z: How Student Values are Driving Changes to Campus Food
- Pomona College (CA)
- Better Food Foundation (DC)
As food takes a more prominent role in our sustainability initiatives—particularly efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions—the cultural dimension of food can be a challenge for sustainability leaders who wish …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainability Efforts with Beverage Companies - Networking Session
- University of Dayton (OH)
This is a networking session that will allow for individuals to share how they have leveraged relationships with beverage companies to be able to offer more sustainable packaging or products …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Addressing the paradoxical problems of food waste and food insecurity on college campuses
- Macalester College (MN)
During this session we will discuss two problems that are increasingly common on college campuses: food waste and food insecurity. Colleges often produce hundreds of pounds of food waste every …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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TASTE Food: The Automated Scope 3 tool for Tracking Emissions from Food
- The Culinary Institute of America (NY)
- Stanford University (CA)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- AASHE (MA)
- World Resources Institute (DC)
Currently, estimating purchased food emissions requires time intensive methods and cost prohibitive software which are often limited to estimating emissions based on spend. Previously, institutions that analyzed purchased food emissions …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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So Local It Has an Accent: Vanderbilt University Campus Dining’s Local Suppliers Program
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
Vanderbilt University Campus Dining has long been a major advocate for increasing its local supplier purchasing. Officially beginning in 2010, VU Campus Dining has held partnerships with a wide variety …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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The evolution of on-campus catering through single-use plastic reduction
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Aramark (PA)
Arizona State University (ASU), the largest public university in the United States, has reimagined its catering services to align with its ambitious sustainability goals. Anchored in service design methodology, this …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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The Seafood Shift: Making Tufts Dining More Sustainable
- Tufts University (MA)
Saskia Zimmerman, a Sustainable Solutions Fellow at Tufts University helped Tufts Dining find new ways to quantify their sustainable impact and further integrate sustainable food sourcing into their work. This …
- Posted Jan. 24, 2025
- Case Studies
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Leading the Fight Against Food Waste and Insecurity: Food Recovery Heroes at the University of Pittsburgh
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Pittsburgh’s Food Recovery Heroes student organization has been recovering and donating surplus food from campus dining facilities and local restaurants since 2014. Over the years, the organization …
- Posted Jan. 24, 2025
- Case Studies
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Zero Waste Football
- Coastal Carolina University (SC)
When the gates opened for the 2019 football season, Chanticleer fans were introduced to a brand-new game day experience inside Brooks Stadium at Coastal Carolina University. In addition to 11,000 …
- Posted Jan. 24, 2025
- Case Studies
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University of the Immaculate Conception - Sustainable Education for Culinary Professionals
- University of the Immaculate Conception
Developed by Worldchefs in collaboration with an esteemed panel of culinary experts, educators, and scientists, the Sustainability Education for Culinary Professionals curriculum offers a transformative learning experience for chefs and …
- Posted Jan. 22, 2025
- Case Studies
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Titan Bites App Helps Students Locate Free Food on Campus
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
For students in need of a meal, locating free or leftover food on campus has just become easier through Cal State Fullerton’s new Titan Bites app.
Developed by Auxiliary Services …
- Posted Dec. 18, 2024
- Photographs
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TASTE Food: The Automated Scope 3 Tool for Tracking Emissions from Food
- Stanford University (CA)
TASTE Food was developed by Rebecca Grekin, a graduate student at Stanford University in the Benson Lab in the Energy Sciences Engineering department, as part of her Master’s work which …
- Posted Oct. 22, 2024
- Tools
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Research Overview on Plant-Based Nudges
- Better Food Foundation (DC)
This research, produced by Better Food Foundation and based on their DefaultVeg strategy, summarizes dozens of academic studies and explains how to apply their findings in food services.
- Posted Sept. 18, 2024
- Publications
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Defeating the Plastic Monster at Bard College
- Bard College (NY)
BardE3 sustainability students took some of the monstrous plastic that we cannot recycle and built a plastic monster as a teaching tool. pronounced Bard-ies, these sustainability students understand the interplay …
- Posted Aug. 20, 2024
- Photographs
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Food Lockers Address Food Insecurity at Pitt
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
New food lockers at University of Pittsburgh make grocery and meal delivery more convenient and help address food insecurity for the Pitt community. Nonperishable food items, fresh produce and extra …
- Posted Aug. 19, 2024
- Photographs
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Seneca Polytechnic - The Seneca Farm
- Seneca Polytechnic (ON)
Opening in September of 2023, Seneca Polytechnic has renovated the two-floor shipping container facility at Newnham Campus and turned it into a hub for urban agriculture commercial growing and research. …
- Posted Aug. 8, 2024
- Photographs
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Seneca Polytechnic - Waste
- Seneca Polytechnic (ON)
The below image is most closely related to Seneca's food & dining and waste reduction efforts.
- Posted July 24, 2024
- Photographs
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USC Hospitality
- University of Southern California (CA)
USC Hospitality recognizes the importance of meeting the needs of the campus without comprising the health of our students, employees or the environment. By initiating several efforts with our practices …
- Posted July 21, 2024
- Photographs
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Dickinson College Farm
- Dickinson College (PA)
Dickinson’s College Farm is an 80-acre, USDA-certified organic farm and a living laboratory where students can gain distinctive, hands-on learning experiences.
- Posted July 15, 2024
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Embracing Plastic-Free: Reusable Takeout at Carleton College That is Actually Reused
- Carleton College (MN)
- USEFULL (MA)
College campuses have an opportunity to positively impact the waste stream with reusable container programs in campus dining. Bon Appétit at Carleton College partnered with USEFULL to offer tech-enabled reusable …
- Posted May 31, 2024
- Case Studies
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From Farm to Food Pantry
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
The Fullerton Arboretum and CSUF Campus Garden keep the ASI Food Pantry stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.
JADA FONSECA HOLDS A PAIR OF PRUNERS IN ONE HAND and gently …
- Posted May 28, 2024
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Weigh the Waste
- Seattle University (WA)
Seattle University's Redhawk dining team wanted to create a visual representation of the waste that is created from students choosing a compostable to-go container instead of choosing a plate.
- Posted May 6, 2024
- Photographs
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PCC Earth Week 2024
- Portland Community College (OR)
We celebrated Earth Week at Portland Community College (PCC) with over 30 events throughout the week! We hosted tours and planting parties in our on-campus Learning Gardens, upcycling workshops in …
- Posted April 30, 2024
- Photographs
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Un-Can-It for the Planet
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
An annual event where student unpackage expired food from our Student Basic Needs Center and compost it, and students and staff are also able to bring expired or stale food …
- Posted April 25, 2024
- Photographs
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Composting at EMU Dining's Facilities
- Eastern Michigan University (MI)
- Chartwells Higher Education (NY)
Currently, three of EMU’s dining facilities are a part of a program that diverts pre and post consumer food waste from landfill. Our teams have a contract with a local …
- Posted April 23, 2024
- Case Studies
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How Michigan State University and Sparty Celebrate Earth Month
- Michigan State University (MI)
These pictures are from our Environmental Education Fair that Michigan State University's Office of Sustainability hosted in partnership with MSU student leadership. Our beloved mascot Sparty came to visit the …
- Posted April 17, 2024
- Photographs
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A Comparison of Single-Use and Reusable Drinkware A Life Cycle Assessment
- Michigan Technological University (MI)
Sponsored by Sussex Injection Molding from Sussex, WI, the OneTumbler Sustainability team in the Consumer Product Manufacturing Enterprise aims to encourage sustainability on Michigan Technological University’s campus through promoting a …
- Posted April 16, 2024
- Publications
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New Campus-wide Composting System Launched at Lafayette College
- Lafayette College (PA)
January, 2024
Easton, Pennsylvania – Lafayette College launched a new campus-wide food waste composting program this fall, using an odor-controlled In Vessel composting system that automatically processes food waste into …
- Posted March 19, 2024
- Publications
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Higher Education Foodscapes as Sites of Action and Transformation
- AASHE (MA)
- University of Melbourne (Victoria)
This webinar presents an in-depth look at foodscapes in higher education. Initially it will look at defining both campus foodscapes and higher education foodscapes and then detail various aspects of …
- Posted March 4, 2024
- Videos & Webinars
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FRESH to Table: A Homegrown Dining Initiative
- Boston College (MA)
FRESH is a Boston College Dining Services (BCDS) initiative that stands for Fairly traded, Regional, Equitable, Sustainable, and Healthy. With these FRESH parameters, BCDS seeks to source food and food …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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Coolfoodies and Friends Meetup
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
- Williams College (MA)
- World Resources Institute (DC)
Join Coolfood Pledge members Brandeis University, University of Pittsburgh, and Williams College for a group discussion and networking hour following the “Implementing Coolfood at Three Universities” session. Chat with Coolfood …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainable and Healthful Food Purchasing Policy at Lehigh University
- Lehigh University (PA)
This session is designed to educate sustainability staff, university business service departments, and campus dining executives on ways to incorporate healthy and sustainable food into their campus operations. This session …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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Not Your Average Emissions: Scope 3 Challenges, Opportunities, and Taking a Holistic Approach
- Harvard University (MA)
Reducing Scope 3 emissions is an urgent sustainability challenge, but while the opportunity for impact is great, the journey forward is not always clear or easy. For most organizations, including …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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Using Behavioral Science to Flip Food Culture
- Better Food Foundation (DC)
- Food for Climate League
What do college cafeterias, a Soul Music festival, urban hospitals and trendy coffeeshop chains have in common? In 2022 and 2023 they are places that have used behavioral nudges, like …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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Menuing toward Net Zero: Coolfood Meals and Emissions Targets
- Aramark (PA)
Food systems are estimated to contribute over 1/3 of overall annual greenhouse gas emissions. In an effort to address this, Aramark has implemented Coolfood Meals, a low carbon menu labeling …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2024
- Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
- Percent of sustainably or ethically produced food and beverage expenditures
- Percent of plant-based food expenditures
- Sustainable food and beverage purchasing inventory
- Description of the sustainable food and beverage purchasing program
- Website URL - Sustainable food and beverage purchasing
OP 8: Sustainable Dining
- Description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project
- Description of the sustainability-themed food outlet
- Description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs
- Description of low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options
- Description of the vegan dining program
- Description of sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls
- Description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system
- Description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program
- Description of the food donation program
- Description of the food materials diversion program
- Description of the pre-consumer composting program
- Description of the post-consumer composting program
- Description of the reusable serviceware program
- Description of the compostable materials and serviceware program
- Description of the reusable container discount or incentives program
- Website URL - Sustainable dining programs
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.