In an effort to support environmental stewardship programs here at the University at Buffalo, Campus Dining & Shops is continually looking for ways to minimize our waste, conserve natural resources, and provide a more sustainable solution. Through initiatives such as recycling, organic composting, biodegradable packaging, energy management, and sustainable food programs, we are working to instill sustainability principles here at UB and within the Western New York community.

·         Having all fountain beverage cups made from at least 50% renewable materials and be compostable.

·         Having napkins at all dining locations made from recycled paper

·         Having residential dining centers eliminate disposable student to-go containers and utilize reusable containers instead.

·         Having trays removed from residential and restaurant locations (2008). The change discourages diners from taking more than they can eat and has reduced food waste by 30 percent, conserved more than a million gallons of water and decreased energy and chemical use.

·         Having dining services procure 15 percent of their food from sustainable sources (locally grown or processed) by 2015.

·         Participate in the Pride of New York Program – showcasing local food suppliers here on campus.

·         Having dining services provide students with educational materials explaining the issues related to sustainable food products and foodservice business practices.

A newly created Student Sustainability Coordinator position will help facilitate new programs, communications with various groups/departments and research potential new initiatives.

·         Having all dining operations compost kitchen food scrapes and post-consumer waste (where applicable). In 2009-10, over 265,000 lbs. of food waste was diverted from the landfill and turned into over 39,500 lbs. of soil amendment.

Having all dining operations recycle all plastic, metal, cardboard and glass. In 2009-10 over 638,000 lbs. of recyclable materials were collected and diverted from the landfill.

Green Servers

Campus Dining & Shops is going green.  As part of our efforts we have purchased wind energy certificates to offset the carbon emissions from the power it takes to operate our public websites.  This includes, myubcard.com, ubdiningjobs.com, ubcampustees.com, incredibullpizza.com and our new catering site being unveiled in January.  100% of the hosting power has been offset.  Many of these sites are connected to third party services which we do not control.  However, we are working with those services to go green as well.  It is all part of our commitment to the environmental mission of the University at Buffalo.

Sustainability

Campus Dining & Shops is a committed Green Partner with the University at Buffalo. Sustainability is a priority for us and we appreciate your support and ideas as we continue to develop a more sustainable dining program.

•  To conserve on water usage, we have recently changed 17 spray heads that are used in our kitchen dish rooms to rinse dirty pots, pans and dishes. The old spray heads were using 4.25 gallons per minute (gpm), while the new spray heads only use 1.24 gpm. This savings equates to over 50 gallons of water per minute.
•  Plates, Cups, Bowls – We now use paper-based tableware in all of our retail dining locations instead of Styrofoam.
•  All of our Residential Dining Centers and several of our retail dining locations such as The Greenery, Pistachio’s, The Tiffin Room, and The Center for Tomorrow use china plates and silverware which are washed and reused.
• Our four Residential Dining Centers are Trayless. The trayless dining format can help reduce food waste along with reducing water and energy consumption. It takes about ¼ gallon of water to wash just one tray.

Click on the images below for more information about our efforts to go green. 

          
Trayless Information          FAQ about going trayless

More than 14,000 students and faculty have purchased our reusable travel mugs since they were first introduced in 2007. As an added bonus, every travel mug comes with a coupon to get your first beverage free and each time you use your mug you save 10%. Over 86,000 refills have been purchased using the new mugs.

•  Our Carry-Out Club kit, which includes a heavy-duty plastic reusable tray and lid, one set of real silverware and a Travel Mug, is a sustainable solution for students who get their meal to-go from a Residential Dining Center. Each meal, the student exchanges their used set for a clean one. We take care of washing the tray, lid and silverware.
•  Reusable bags are available to purchase at cost so customers do not have to use plastic carry out bags.
•  We installed automatic single-sheet paper towel dispensers in our kitchen areas in an effort to cut down on the amount of paper used to dry hands.

Recycling & Waste Reduction

Our sustainability efforts also include steps to reduce waste, recycle and protect the environment. Since 6/1/09 we have saved 122,000 lbs of waste from seeing the landfill through our composting & recycling efforts.

•  Throughout campus, glass and plastic recycling collection areas are conveniently located near our restaurants, dining centers and vending machines. The Statler Commissary recycles all dining locations’ tin cans and cardboard. Our main office recycles papers.
•  Our napkins, made from recycled paper, are housed in new single-sheet dispensers that let you pull one napkin at a time. This new system allows you take only what you need, eliminating wasteful piles of unused napkins in the dining areas.
•  As part of our effort to create a more environmentally sustainable operation, we have chosen to use the Ecolab Apex warewashing system. This system will help reduce consumption of natural resources and plastic packaging. The Apex system not only features non-caustic, low-phosphorus chemistry, but also operates our dish machines more efficiently—often by 10% or higher. This operational efficiency translates into a significant savings of water and energy.
• All resident and retail dining locations recycle their cooking oil through a company that picks up the oil and recycles it.
• Campus Dining & Shops is now composting kitchen & post consumer food scraps (pilot programs are in effect at Richmond, Red Jacket, & Governor's dining halls) which produces a soil amendment that will be used in landscaping across UB.

   

  Since 6/1/09 we have taken in over 190,000 lbs. of food scraps and turned it into 27,500 lbs. of soil amendment.

  Click here to read news article UB is Going Green for You!

Use of Locally Grown Foods / Organic

The Pride of New York Program promotes and supports the sale of agricultural products grown and food products processed within New York State. By supporting this initiative, we support local farmers and food manufacturers. It’s a win-win partnership that sustains local business development. These local businesses include: U.S. Foods, Costanzo’s Bakery, Wardynski's Meats, Upstate Farms, Rich’s, Desiderio’s Fruit & Produce, Boulevard Produce, Perry's Ice Cream, Rosina Foods, Midstate Bakery, Al Cohen’s Bakery, Will Poultry, Schneider's Seafood, McCullagh Coffee, along with many local farms.

Campus Dining & Shops is proud to have spent $3.9 million in food purchases with local vendors last year.
 
As a local company ourselves, we know the importance of helping our community find and choose local products while building relationships with growers, food artisans, and food manufacturers right here in Western New York.

Richmond Dining Center accommodates our vegan and vegetarian population and offers a vast selection of organic/natural foods.