1. Sustainability: Ithaca
Dining Services
Report Overview
This report is an assessment of the sustainable initiatives at the Ithaca College Dining Services. Each
page is dedicated to explaining a specific plan that Dining Services features.
The objective of this report is to identify current sustainable programs, their benefits, and plans for the
future. In the future, objectives can be altered by expanding each program. All programs reflected in this
report are either current or becoming implemented. Other objectives are to educate students and faculty
about the benefits of each program in order to improve efficiency and support.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 1
2. Overview
Local, Fair Trade, & The Food Salvage Program pg. 3
Composting pg. 4
Trayless Dining pg. 5-6
Ratings pg. 7
College Cross Comparison pg. 8
Ithaca Dining Services Energy Initiative pg. 9
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 2
3. Local, Fair Trade, & The Food Salvage Program
Ithaca Dining Services purchases food from multiple businesses located all across the the country. Local,
fairtrade, and organic foods are only a percent of the overall purchases made throught the year. Ithaca
Dining Services purchases these items to bring you fresh choices during every dining expereience.
Local
One of the many services the dining halls provides to the college is its selection of local items. Ithaca
Dining Services purchases foods from over 18 farms in New York, 16 of them local (local is defined as
less than 150 miles from the location purchasing that item). Ithaca Dining Services spends roughly 10%
of their total annual food budget on local purchasing alone.
New York Farms:
1. B+B Farms*, Freeville 10. Dagelie Brothers Farm
2. Collegetown Bagels*, Ithaca 11. Martens Farm*, Port Byron
3. Fingerlakes Fresh*, Ithaca 12. A. Sam & Son, Dunkirk
4. Stick and Stone*, Newfield 13. Tori Farms*, Elba
5. Rememberance Farms*, Trumansburg 14. Tassone Farms*, Cicero
6. Emmi & Sons*, Liverpool 15. Oswego Growers*, Oswego
7. Red Jacket*, Geneva 16. Fialito*, Fulton
8. Shaul Farms, Fultonham 17. Humphrey’s Farm*, New Hartford
9. Reeves Farms*, Baldwinsville 18. Hood Dairy*, Binghamton
(* indicates local farm)
Fair Trade
Ithaca also purchases multiple fair trade products. A major supplier is Green Moutnatin Coffee, a large
provider throughout the year. All coffee purchased at the college is fairtrade certified. Other products the
college purchases that is fairtrade certified is Tazo Teas (Ethical Tea Partnership), Guayaki Yerba Matte,
and Astor Chocolate. Dining Services purchased $62,302 on organic and fairtrade items last year
(estimate). This is mainly from Green Mountain Coffee, United Natural Foods, F&T, and various other
companies.
Danby/Freeville Food Salvage Program
With extra meals compiled at the end of each week, Ithaca Dining Services has developed the Danby
Freevile Food Salvage program. During the academic school year, Dining Services packages leftover
meals and sends them out to the food banks in the Danby/Freeville region. Meal numbers vary each
week, depending on the amount of leftovers. Roughly 30 meals are donated a week, and this program
will continue to exist throughout the year.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 3
4. Composting
There is often little thought about where food scraps and waste travel after customers finish their meals.
Ithaca College Dining Services works with the on campus composting facility to recycle an impressive
95% of what they receive. Both pre and postconsumer waste is properly sorted and categorized by the
dining hall staff to ensure that its lifecycle is being fully utilized.
In conjunction with the trayless dining data collection, dining hall interns collected data over the course of
an entire school year to be able to extrapolate and estimate the amount of waste composted. From total
tonnage of food scrap to transportation costs and fees, this data collection on composting allows the IC
Dining Services to gain a sense of how effective they are when it comes to composting.
Total Food Composted: 259.424 tons
Fees: 10,181.56
Savings: 746,723.1
Trips: 97
Mileage: 3035.261
DATE JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
1 2.43 3 2.7
2 2.2 3.41 3.89 1.55
3 2.54 3.66 3.03 3.66 2.82
4 2.7 2.36 1.8 1.84 2.12
5 3.12 2.61 2.48
6 0.64 2.3 1.17 3 2.66
7 2.74 2.194
8 3.57 2.7 2.46 2.78
9 3.55 2.93
10 2.3 2.85 3.05 1.46 2.7
11 2.51 1
12 4.68 2.79
13 2.46 4.17 2.57 2.04
14 2.42
15 2.85
16 2.85 3.48 3.88
17 1.29 3.04 4.06 3.05 1.6
18 1.63 0.46 1.56 3.05 4.21
19 3.52
20 1.32 3.71 2.18 2.76 2.77
21 0.38 2.25
22 0.4 0.39 3.32 2.81
23 1.03 2.4 7.97 2.28
24 2.65 2.2 3.38 2.91
25 1.44
26 4.77 4.63 2.14
27 2.11 2.96 3.81 2.34
28
29 3.85 2.98 3.23 4.96 2.97
30 3.02
31 2.96
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 4
5. Trayless Dining
Trayless Dining is a program that went into effect during the fall semester of 2008. Initiated by student
interns and dining hall managers, data was collected on dining with trays versus the trayless dining
experience.
This data collection lead to the discovery that not only was this saving more food, but time, money, and
energy waste was being avoided. Student interns began to compile data to prove that this was a healthy
and beneficial choice for the dining halls to participate in.
Customer
Count
Date Breakfast Lunch Dinner Late Night Total
Mon 11/10 (trays) 320 733 400 627 2080
Tues 11/11 (trayless) 301 979 392 821 2493
Compost
Bins/Weight
Breakfast Lunch Dinner Late Night Total
Mon 11/10 (trays) 1.25 - 1 1 3.25
Tues 11/11 (trayless) 1 - 1 0.75 2.75
*average weight of 1 bin = 120 lbs.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 5
6. Regular vs.
Trayless
Date Lbs. of Waste Lbs./person Oz. Oz./person
Tray 390 0.1875 6240 3
Trayless 330 0.13237 5280 2.11793
Waste Saved using Trayless 60 0.055129362 960 0.882069795
* All data shown from "Ithaca College Dining Services Trayless Dining" by Stephanie Peich (2007/2008)
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 6
7. Ratings
Working to become sustainable is a difficult task that requires time, energy, and money. Select colleges,
universities, organizations, and businesses are rated on their dedication to sustainability, impact on the
environment, and community involvement.
The Green Report Card
The Green Report Card Grade
Administration B
Climate Change and Energy B
Food and Recycling B
Green Building B
Student Involvement A
Transportation B
Endowment Transparency C
Investment Priorities C
Shareholder engagement F
Overall B-
“Dining services offers some local, organic, and fair trade items. All to-go service ware is compostable or
recyclable and has been integrated into all catered events. The college maintains a food waste composting
program in all dining halls. There is an active office furniture reuse and on-site residence hall furniture
refurbishing program.”
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review Grade
Final Score 91/99
The Green College Rating is based on a number of questions that evaluate the comprehensive measure of
a school’s performance as an environmentally aware and responsible institution. Specifically, it includes:
1) Whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable;
2) How well a school is preparing students not only for employment in the clean energy economy
of the 21st century, but also for citizenship in a world now defined by environmental challenges;
and
3) How environmentally responsible a school’s policies are.
The questions schools were asked were developed in consultation with eco-America, a research and
partnership-based environmental nonprofit that convened an expert committee to design this
comprehensive ranking system.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 7
8. College Cross Comparison
More colleges and universities across the country are becoming involved with sustainability and focus on
green design. It is important in this time to understand the impact a large organization can have on the
environment and the community around them. By analyzing certain colleges and comparing them to our
own, we gain a better understanding of where we stand in terms of sustainability our dedication to
change.
Programs can be as simple as a basic recycling facilty or extensive as a fleet of bio-desiel student shuttles.
This examination will reveal Ithaca Colleges (specifically dining services) dedication and involvement in
sustainable initiatives.
Acording to http://www.thegreenreportcard.org, (a committee dedicating to grading colleges on their
green invovlment) Ithaca College reflects the following.
“Dining services [Ithaca College] offers some local, organic, and fair trade items. All to-go
service ware is compostable or recyclable and has been integrated into all catered events. The
college maintains a good waste composting program in all dining halls. There is an active office
furniture reuse and on-site residence hall furniture refurbishing program”
Ithaca Dining Services (Food and Recycling Category) received a B rating. Cross comparison to other
colleges and universities across the country revealed how A rated Dining Services are accomplishing a
level of sustainability we are attempting to reach.
Other initiative & programs colleges are participating in:
Purchased 2 light weight electric delivery trucks to support our fleet of 5 traditional gas vehicles
(UBC)
Purchased $3,000 annually from the UBC Farm, mainly in herbs and salad greens (UBC)
The plants vehicles are using 20% bio diesel fuel, as a result, the operations have surpassed its
inspirations and four year schedule (UBC)
50 percent of off-campus students participate in the college’s composting program (Carleton
College)
Dining services is collaborating with the athletics department to fuel one of the ski team vehicles
with waste vegetable oil (Middlebury College)
Complete elimination of frying oil, only use canola/olive. Bread, rolls, bagels all produced by
either Seattle bakeries/local sources (University of Washington)
In the past 10 years, vegan/vegetarian options have increased from 10% to 50% of all offered
food (Oberlin College)
A small garden maintained by students, called the Edible Forest, is a pilot for urban food
production (University of Pennsylvania)
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 8
9. IDS Energy Initiative
Ithaca College Dining Services Energy Goals
1. Reduce dining services carbon footprint
2. Reduce dining services energy spending
Today
Dining services energy spending and consumption is an unkown quantity and dining services
locations are viewed and treated as a 24/7, 52 week a year operation.
Our Approach
Ithaca College and Sodexo will partner in a Learn and Share initiative to meet our goals. Ithaca
College’s Office of the Provost, REMP (Resource Environmental Management Program), and
student interns will assist in each step of this initiative in conjunction with Sodexo Education
Facilities Services, and their external business partners.
This will be supported by an internal and external communication plan.
Five Energy Categories Five Survey Areas
Light = Illumination Dining Rooms
Air = Ventilation Serving Lines
Water = Sanitation Kitchens
Food Prep = Hot Food Storage Areas
Refrigeration = Cold Food Roof and Basements
Step 1: Discovery
1. What is our carbon footprint, and energy spending today?
2. What equipment and building systems do we use that consume energy?
3. When do we use this equipment and theses building systems?
4. Install Sodexo’s Facility Center CMMP to support all data collection.
Step 2: Evaluation
1. Measure dining services carbon footprint – The Loyalton Group
2. Inventory and tag all dining services equipment and building systems
- Facility Center, Brian Ketner and Alonzo Jones
3. Identify how many hours per week and weeks per year all inventoried items are used.
4. Identify campus Energy Management system, and how it interfaces with dining services.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 9
10. 5. Conduct Tier III Energy Audit – The Loyalton Group
6. Inspect all kitchen exhaust hoods – Melink
7. Access condition and life expectancy of all kitchen equipment – EcoLab
8. Bring in all vendor owned equipment representatives (Coca Cola, etc.) for equipment
evaluations.
9. Identify New York rebate and incentive programs.
Step 3: Recommendation
1. Changes in equipment – two year ROI (return on investment) and five year ECAP (equipment
captial action plan)
2. Changes in business practices – when can we turn things off?
3. Identify Top 10 Case Studies.
4. Applications for New York rebate and incentive programs
5. Employee Training Program
6. QA Program – Facility Center hand held’s
7. Preventative Maintenance Program – Facility Center
Step 4: Implementation and Measurement
(Based on recommendations approved by Ithaca College)
This is an ongoing project, with multiple stages requiring time, energy, and intensive data
collection. Currently, exhaust hoods have been installed in the dining halls for the fall 2009
semester. Intensive data collection is being requested on certain items in the dining halls, and
replacements on these machines is being scheduled.
Sustainability: Ithaca Dining Services 10