Sustainability

• 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 Bite app allows diners to see menu options, and sort options based on what they’re looking for (ie all vegan options).
  
• 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 Fairtrade 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.