WVU Dining Services is committed to striking the balance between sustainable, healthy, and value based campus dining. To that end, here is a growing list of steps we've taken to shrink our negative environmental footprint and model sustainable corporate dining:
What We're Doing
- Tray-less Dining: The benefits of tray-less dining have been proven multiple times over. After experimenting with tray-less dining in 2013-14, all five of WVU's Dining Halls have removed trays from their main serving lines. The result has been an estimated one-third reduction in food waste, cleaning chemicals, and water use.
- Recycled Packaging: All our to-go operations use recycled packaging whenever possible, giving students the opportunity to recycle and reduce landfill waste. Dining Center napkins are also made from 100% reusable material.
- Recycled Waste: All cardboard and metal waste is diverted from landfill disposal through the campus's single-stream recycling program.
- Downtown Campus Farmers Market: WVU Dining partners with other campus groups to host a weekly Farmer's Market on WVU's downtown campus during the fall semester.
- Local Connection: Whenever possible, we use produce from local farms, which can provide us with a lot of in-season fruit such as apples and peaches. We seek to incorporate local produce to our dishes when possible.
- Plant-based Foods: Many menu items are plant-based/vegan/vegetarian. The Everyday app allows diners to see menu options, and sort options based on what they’re looking for (i.e., all vegan options). Want to learn more about the benefits of plant-based proteins? View the infographic.
- Food Recovery: Partnerships with local food pantries allow WVU Dining to divert thousands of pounds of uneaten cooked food away from landfills to local hungry families.
- Cooking Oil Recovery: Used cooking oil is recycled and converted to environmentally responsible biodiesel fuel, which can power any diesel motor.
- Energy Star Equipment: Most kitchen equipment purchased by WVU Dining is certified for energy efficiency.
- WVU Fair Trade 2.0 Partnership: A partnership with WVU student organization Fairtrade 2.0 allows WVU Dining to source ingredients through a growing network of direct trade partners. WVU's own Firsthand Coffee brand is a product of this partnership, bringing to campus a direct-trade, shade grown, contract based coffee to campus coffee shop guests.
- No-Styrofoam Policy: WVU Dining Services is seeking to eliminate polystyrene foam service ware; most locations have already eliminated use of all Styrofoam products.