Sustainable Dining

Campus Dining Services has implemented the following steps to be fiscally and socially responsible and operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner.

The College of Wooster Campus Dining Services management team incorporates educational information about the green practices and local foods being incorporated into menus and special events such as catered picnics, catered receptions, students special meals (including the Fall Harvest Local Foods Dinner), daily cycle menus, and weekly local produce menu offerings.

We are reducing the use of disposable items and their environmental impact:

Watch this video of our composting at The College.
Compostable containers, drink cups, and cutlery made from sustainable resources used for carryout.
Paper napkins and towels comprised of unbleached, recycled fibers including post consumer waste.
Students supplied with re-usable travel mug for drink discount and disposable products reduction.
Washable china, plastic, and stainless flatware utilized for fast food restaurant dining.
Many catered events converted from using all disposables tableware and condiment packets to using washable china, plastics, glass, and stainless steel flatware and bulk condiment pumps.
Bulk purified drinking water provided for catered events in place of individual plastic bottles of water.
Dining hall salad dressings and most popular condiments converted from individual portion control packets to bulk containers with pumps.

We are increasing our use of local foods:

Dining halls and MacLeod's coffee bar & convenience store offer products from area farmers supplied by Local Roots Cafe & Market, Wooster, Ohio.
Dining hall menus feature fresh locally grown produce such as tomatoes, peaches, pears, grapes, strawberries, corn, beans, apples, squashes, and potatoes supplied by local farmers, when in season.
Dining hall menus feature locally produced cheese, chicken, meats, and dairy. Fresh chicken is all-natural, growth hormone and steroid free. Liquid milk is rBST-Free.
Dining Halls offer coffee roasted by a family owned company in Ohio, exclusivey serving fair trade, certified organic Wooster Blend.
Approximately 33% of all purchases are Ohio Proud: Made by a neighbor in the State of Ohio.

We attempt to minimize our energy use and minimize our landfill impact:

Main dining hall conveyor converted to allow for trayless dining and has reduecd the use of cafeteria trays by 97% - saving energy, water, chemical use, and staff handling time.
Waste vegetable oil from kitchen deep fryers is collected and recycled by a professional service.
Campus deliveries are made using electric cart whenever possible.
Kitchens recycle all metal, glass, plastic, and cardboard from food packaging.
Dishwashing machine with econo-rinse feature reduces water consumption nearly 50%.
Pulper in dishroom saves water and reduces landfill space for uneaten food portions by 90% volume.
CFL dining room lighting replaced incandescent bulbs for 700,000 watt per day savings.

Campus Dining Services has become more actively involved in working with our community to achieve environmental improvements:

Chuck Wagers, Director of Campus Dining Services, serves on The College of Wooster Campus Sustainability Committee in addition to having served on The College of Wooster Environmental Task Force. He has also served on the advisory committee to localcrop.com, and as a Wayne County Delegate to the NE Ohio Food Congress Promoting a Healthy, Equitable, and Sustainable Food System in Northeast Ohio.
Chef Rick Keyes, Chef of Student Dining, regularly participates in the campus Vegan Co-op and continually works with the Purchasing and Production Managers to cycle locally grown seasonal items onto the dining hall menus.

Some members of The College of Wooster Campus Dining Services management team have attended seminars and workshops to gain more knowledge to make educated improvements to products and services we offer, including:

The 2nd Annual Stinner Summit: Promoting Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities
NACUFS Purchasing Seminar
a September 2008 meeting between Kenyon, Wooster, and Denison students, faculty, and staff to discuss the educational implications of sustainability initiatives on campus, with a particular focus on local food use, Modern Egg Farming and Animal Welfare 101.
The College of Wooster Hospitality Services management team incorporates educational information about the green practices and local foods being incorporated into menus and special events such as catered picnics, catered receptions, students special meals (including the Fall Harvest Local Foods Dinner), daily cycle menus, and weekly local produce menu offerings.