Sustainability

Our Initiatives

As a guest, it is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine at a Sodexo café. 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. Learn more about the Better Tomorrow Commitments.

Re-useable Cup Discount

The environment and your pocketbook win! Bring your own reusable cup to purchase coffee or a fountain soda on campus and receive a discount at every location, every time.

Reusable Containers

Green to Go is our reusable container program available for use at all dining locations. To help reduce waste and the carbon footprint, we will no longer be offering disposable containers. These to-go boxes can be filled with food items from a dining hall for carry out only (up to 2 entrees per visit) or students can ask to have their Main Street order placed in their Green Box. Food items are priced separately from the Green Box. Carabiner clips can be redeemed at any dining hall location on campus. Green Boxes can be purchased at the dining halls for $5 using bonus bucks, dining dollars, cash or card.

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% local purchase by 2020.

Recycling

Bottles, Cans, Glass, Cardboard, Coffee Ground and Fryer Oil

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.

Apex

Apex is now smart power for the dish detergent system. As part of our ongoing effort to minimize our environmental impact, we use the Ecolab's APEX dishwashing system. By using less water, energy and labor, we are supporting our environment and sustainability initiatives.

Xprss Nap

Xprss Nap Dispensers save energy and waste. The napkins are made of 100% 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.