SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability Efforts

In the month of April last spring semester University Dining Services implemented Trayless Tuesdays at Carkoski and Gage Dining Commons with the intention of raising awareness of food waste during Environmentally Friendly Month. During the time period we kept track of food savings by counting the number of times we had to empty the garbage vs. any other day of business. We also were able to figure out the amount of savings in water by not having to wash trays in our dish machine and chemicals used. Comment boxes were available at both locations for students to voice their opinions. In just a four day span over the month of April this is what we saved.

• The total number of garbage bags of food we saved at Gage and Carkoski dining hall was 42, weighting in at an estimated 294 pounds of food.
• The total number of gallons of water saved by not having to wash trays was 1,064 gallons.

If we were able to incorporate Trayless Dining every Tuesday for an entire year that would roughly equate to 9,408 pounds of food, 34,048 gallons of water.

If we were able to implement Trayless Dining every day for the entire year we would roughly save 65,856 pounds of food, 238,336 gallons of water.

After the spring semester concluded the Resident Hall Association voted to implement Trayless Dining as a permanent staple at Carkoski and Gage Dining Commons.

Sodexo

Sodexo has partnered with Excellent Packaging Systems (EPS) specializing in environmentally sustainable packaging, offering compostable, biodegradable and recyclable product lines as well as traditional packaging. Their exclusive BioMass Packaging® FoodService Disposables Program is the most comprehensive sustainable packaging program available in North America.

EPS products include:

• Spudware: Bio-based high heat tolerant, compostable cutlery made from plant starch.
• BagasseWare: Pulp-based Paper packaging derived from plant fibers, either grown or recovered as crop residue.
• EATware: Sturdy disposable food containers made from bamboo, rice or sugar cane and corn starches.
• Natureworks: Clear food containers made from vegetable plastic, manufactured from corn grown in the USA.
• Ecotainer: Paper hot cups and soup containers made with PLA lining making them compostable.

The environmental impact by replacing Styrofoam products with eco-friendly 100% compostable products is dramatic. Before switching to Eco-friendly products we used a total of 23,070 Styrofoam cups in our retail locations on campus during just one semester. By switching to an ecotainer cup, lid and straw we will have a impact on our landfills and reduce our carbon footprint at Minnesota State University, Mankato considerably.

Bix Produce Co.

Bix Produce Company is the leader in specialty produce distribution throughout the Twin Cities metro area, greater Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Fargo, ND. They provide the finest quality bulk and pre-cut fruits and vegetables, dairy, and related food items to food service operators including restaurants, hotels, educational institutions, and country clubs.

Bix’s sustainability efforts include purchasing locally grown produce from Minnesota farmers. As a customer of Bix we are provided with a weekly update from the Food Alliance Midwest of locally grown available produce. Organic fruits and vegetables are also available to us through Bix.

Anti-hunger Efforts on Campus

Sodexo does more than provide food service on campus.

The Campus Kitchens Project

Sodexo is the founding founder of the The Campus Kitchens Project, a nation-wide program offering college students a chance to serve their communities.

The Campus Kitchens Project empowers thousands of college students to recycle food from their cafeterias, turn these donations into nourishing meals and deliver those meals to those who need them most. The project also opens up on-campus kitchen space to teach culinary skills to unemployed men and women, who in turn help students learn about poverty and stereotypes.

So far, The Campus Kitchens Project has provided more than 500,000 meals, serving an average of 2,500 meals each month

The Campus Kitchen Project (CKP) is a groundbreaking initiative that brings colleges and universities together with student volunteers, on campus dining service professionals, and community organizations to combat hunger in cities across the United States. www.mnsu.edu/activities/kitchen/

Sodexhocares.com

SodexhoCares.com is a meeting place for employees, customers, and community members to learn and share their experiences about Sodexo's new initiatives, community involvement, and great stories about our people. Sodexo is working to STOP hunger, promote sustainable business practices, be a responsible corporate citizen and a great place to work.

STOP Hunger

Since 1999, the Sodexo Foundation has been committed to being a driving and creative force that contributes to a hunger-free nation. In order to eliminate hunger that affects 36 million people in the U.S., we must fight its root causes… Read more on the Treasure Coast Food Bank website.