Cal Dining Strives to Buy Local and Organic
Food and dining is an area where there are few metrics yet many different paths to sustainability. On campus, Cal Dining has made tremendous progress towards greening their food supply, operations, and disposal. They have made a commitment to sourcing local and organic food when possible and have formed an alliance with Buy Fresh Buy Local to purchase at least 10% and strive for 25% local produce. Cal Dining is already preferentially purchasing local and super local foods, up to 60% of local in-season produce is produced within a 16 mile radius. Cal Dining received the nation's first organic certification on a college campus in March 2006. The first nation's organic salad bar was launched in Crossroads dining commons in April 2006 and now all four dining halls (including Clark Kerr, Foothill, and Café 3) are certified and have 100% organic salad bars as well. Cal Dining offers abundant vegetarian and vegan options and was named the third most vegetarian friendly campus in the nation.
Cal Dining is a Certified Alameda County Green Business
Cal Dining has mitigated the footprint of its operations by improving the efficiency of water and energy use, limiting the use of toxics, and increasing the diversion of waste. They have tracked and documented these improvements in order to become certified as an Alameda County Green Businesses for all four dining commons. Much of the waste produced by Cal Dining is organic and is composted. All waste oil is turned into biodiesel. Cal Dining even provides composting services to students outside of the dining halls for pizza boxes and to-go containers (which are made of bagasse and compostable).
CAMPUS FOOD AND DINING RESOURCES
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