Ask any student living on campus about their top three usual spots and I bet a lot of them will say: their dorm, the library and the dining hall. These three places also have something else in common: sustainability.
The BU Dorm Energy Challenge was promoted campus-wide and we have recycling bins in each dorm. Sustainability in dorms? Check. There’s pedal powered battery charger at the entrance of the Mugar Library, and the face. Sustainability in libraries? Check.
BU dining halls don’t just serve good food, but they also have an effective sustainability program to cater to consumer choices and reduce food waste. Here are some facts to keep in mind the next time you visit one of the three BU dining halls.
1. Healthy & diverse food choices
#sargentchoice Test Kitchen for #SCDinner on October 14th. From top left across: Sargent Slider (1/2 1/2 Beef & Turkey) Braised Beef Ragu Apple Butternut Squash Stuffed Chicken Baked Fish Mussels Saganaki w/Garlic Toast Italian Turkey Wrap Vegan BBQ Tempeh Salata Marouli A photo posted by BU Dining (@budiningservice) on Oct 8, 2015 at 11:20am PDT
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you’ll love the choices offered everyday. If you’re craving Asian cuisine, swipe into Warren dining hall and get a taste of food from China, Vietnam, Malaysia and many more. If you’re all for Sargent-choice or gluten-free meals, the gluten-free station is has a kitchen of its own. Kosher and halal meals are also served. Before you leave, drop by the dessert station or treat yourself with ice cream.
2. Support local
We have missed you #bufarmersmarket ! Every Thursday from 11am-3pm in #gsu plaza #BU #farmersmarket A photo posted by BU Dining (@budiningservice) on Sep 3, 2015 at 9:34am PDT
As a partner of Ward’s Berry Farm, a community supported agriculture provider, BU Dining Services purchases locally-grown food from 45 farms and 130 producers as a step to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and be part of a self-sustaining food system in New England. They also achieved their goal of getting 20 percent of their food from sustainable sources three years ahead of schedule. Terriers should check out Wholesome Roots on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
3. Compost. Recycle. Divert
Photo courtesy of BU Dining Services
Working together with companies like Save That Stuff, BU Dining Services composts 98 percent of pre-consumer waste and 95 percent of post-consumer waste. They also recycle cooking oil locally and pledged to divert waste from landfills. Check out the sustainability website and Sustainability Report 2015.
4. Save water. Save energy. Save time
GIF courtesy of profiletresures.com
BU Dining Services uses EcoLab and Energy Star rated products to reduce water and energy consumption. When they eliminated the use of trays in 2008, they managed to reduce water consumption by about 35,000 gallon per week. In all dining halls, students also need to leave their plates and cutleries at the food waste station.
5. BU. Be You. Be First.
Photo courtesy of dinegreen.com
BU is the first university to have 4-Star Certified Green Restaurants and one of them is the Marciano Commons (a.k.a Bay State dining hall). Marciano Commons is also a LEED-registered building. Believe it or not, the napkins and napkin dispensers also have sustainable features.
We locked our chefs on the roof & told them they can’t come down until ________________ *Fill in the Blank* winner gets a prize. A photo posted by BU Dining (@budiningservice) on Apr 14, 2015 at 11:58am PDT
Overall, BU Dining Services is doing a great job in providing us with good food and practicing sustainability on campus. I understand that some people whine a lot about being bored with dining hall food, but hey look on the bright (or yummy) side, there isn’t really an all-you-can-eat option everyday out there other than dining halls, right?