SUSTAINABILITY

Marist Dining Services is committed to taking a leadership role in environmental stewardship by integrating awareness, local action, as well as regional and global thinking into our planning and decision making. In light of this responsibility, Marist Dining will incorporate, to the extent possible, best practices in food sourcing, waste minimization, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Marist Dining Services reports to the Division of Student Affairs and is managed by Sodexo, the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Click here to read the press release and visit the EPA website.

Sustainable Initiatives

Local and Regional Foods on Campus

• Hudson Valley Fresh - We are pleased to announce that Campus Dining now carries local, Hudson Valley Fresh milk in all retail locations! NEW- For Fall 2011, Hudson Valley Fresh milk products will be served in the resident dining hall!

• Hudson Valley Fresh is a not-for-profit dairy cooperative dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of the Hudson River Valley and promoting it as one of the premier food regions of the United States.
• Sustainable Agriculture –
• HVF ensures fair pricing for the farmers’ goods and keeps those farmers in business which prevents the loss of their land to development.
• Quality, LOCAL food product –
• Farmers are from New York State’s Dutchess and Columbia Counties, selling dairy, cheese, beef, and pork.
• The main business is premium quality milk.
• Product is locally sold throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York City.
• Hudson Valley Fresh is Award-Winning – Farms have won awards for quality such as the National Dairy Quality Award and NYS Environmental Stewardship Award.

 

• FreshPoint Connecticut is a regional distributor for farmers in the Northeast. With a mission “to help sustain local farms by supporting their efforts to provide a wide variety of produce that is fresh, healthy, and safe”, FreshPoint Connecticut delivers a variety of local and regional foods to the college.

• Aspretto Coffee
• While it is not local, Aspretto Coffee is driven to supporting sustainable initiatives while offering GREAT COFFEES AND TEAS! Check them out online and click here for a presentation about what they do.
• Campus Dining Services purchases food products through many local vendors such as Bobby’s Salsa, Hudson Valley Fresh, and Rockland Bakery.
• Campus Dining Services adheres to guidelines for its purchase of seafood according to the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainable seafood.

• The Valley Cafe
  • The Valley Cafe showcases local, regional, sustainable, and organic foods. It is a place where faculty, staff and students gather to enjoy the fruits of the valley and the surrounding areas. The Cafe is featured every Tuesday in the Cabaret.
  • NEW this semester, A Taste of The Valley Cafe is offered on Thursday's in the Main Dining Hall during dinner time from 4:30p.m.-8:30p.m. Seating is available in the Main Dining Room and the Private Dining Rooms when available.

Energy and Waste Reduction

• COMPOSTING - Click here to read how it works!
  • Resident Dining Services composts all of its food waste through a partnership with Greenway and Royal Carting. The program began in 2007 and includes food waste from both kitchen production and discarded food from the Main Dining Hall.

 

• Tork – Tork manufactures all the napkin and paper products used by dining services. We are thrilled to partner with Tork because of their strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. Click here for a presentation about what Tork – SCA Tissue do everyday to improve our world.

• SYSCO
• Campus Dining has a partnership with Sysco. They too contribute to sustaining our environment. Click here to see how!

• Sodexo Standards

Marist Dining Services is managed by Sodexo who has a strong commitment to sustainability and improving the quality of life for us all. The standards set through Sodexo reflect the commitment of sustaining our environment.

• Creating Eco Efficiencies in our Kitchen
• Sustainability & Food Procurement

• Eco-Ware Products
• Campus Dining aims to promote zero-waste events in our catering program and offers eco friendly packaging throughout our retail operations.
• Zero Waste Catering

• Recycle Mug Program
  • We encourage our customers to recycle, reduce, and reuse. All of our retail locations participate in this program. By rewarding sustainable practices, we hope to encourage implementation in everyday life.

• Trayless Dining
  • Initiated in fall 2009 resulting in a reduction of discarded food

• Marist College and the Game Day Challenge!
  • Sodexo at Marist named Organics Reduction Champions for the 2010 EPA Game Day Challenge.
  • In our concessions operations at the Homecoming Game on October 16, 2010 we collected, separated and recycled 540 pounds of paper. We received and recycled 100% of the bottles we sold. Additionally, we composted 495 pounds of food/organic material.
  • Click here for a presentation on what we did!

• Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Campaign

Community Programs

• Hillcrest House food donation program
• Community and manufacturing partners
• Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee - Marist College
• Campus Recycling Committee - Marist College