2015
Surpassed Our Sustainable Food Commitment
We achieved our goals for sustainability 3 years early by purchasing 22% sustainable food.
Certified the Fresh Food Company at West Campus, Warren Towers, and the Law School Café as 3-star Certified Green Restaurants®
The annual cranberry-apple field trip grew to over 150 students
Invited to present to the New England region on local food purchasing at the Mass Farm to School Conference, FINE conference, and NACUFS conference
Partnered with Red’s Best to serve sustainable, local seafood from day boats every Thursday night for dinner
Created a boxless boxed lunch option for Catering on the Charles, greatly reducing waste generated by events
Began serving vegan pancakes and daily vegan desserts in dining halls
2014
Working Together to Improve
During the 2014 school year, BU bought more than 100,000 local apples!
BU Dining Services partnered with the School of General Studies' student service group, Club GiiVE, to host "Composting Comes Out" in all residential dining halls, to encourage lower food waste
Hosted a Cabot farmer and local fisherman during Earth Week
Converted 156,000 plastic sandwich bags at Subway to paper
Installed 2 new energy-efficient dish machines at Fresh Food Co. at West Campus, saving millions of gallons of water and tons of energy each year!
2013
Educating the Masses
For Lobster Night, we purchased 8,000 Maine lobsters, 500 pounds of Cabot butter, 24,000 potatoes, and 4,000 cobs of corn! In 2014, Lobster Night will be 100% local.
Certified Marciano Commons, Rize, and Late Night Kitchen as 4-star Certified Green Restaurants®
Chosen as a case study by the Mass DEP's Recycling Works website to prepare other institutions for the organics waste ban in October 2014
Presented on Organics Diversion at the TURI Conference in Marlborough, MA
Presented on Organics Diversion at the MIT Sustainability Summit 2013
Participated in Mass Farm to School's Harvest of the Month
Installed a new energy-efficient dish machine at the George Sherman Union, saving millions of gallons of water and tons of energy each year.
2012
Leaders in Sustainability
1,149 tons of waste diverted from the landfill (due to waste reduction!)
GSU is awarded 3 stars from Green Restaurant Association, the highest GRA restaurant rating in New England and the only food court in the country with a GRA Certification
Field trip to Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for Flapjack Fling
Presented on Third Party Certifications at the AASHE Conference 2012
Presented on Zero Waste at the NECSC Conference 2012
Mayor Thomas M. Menino awards BU Dining Services the City of Boston Sustainable Food Leadership Award
Dining Services hosts Sustainable Agriculture panel
100 Bay State Road Executive Chef Adam Pagan teaches improv cooking classes using the weekly produce in the Ward's Berry Farm CSA box
Boston University received a Silver rating from AASHE STARS
Dining Services was awarded points for sustainable purchasing, composting, and more
Make a Difference Monday goes weekly in dining halls
2011
Building Community Outreach
Impact this year: 1,208 tons of waste diverted from the landfill
Make a Difference Monday begins once a month in dining halls
Make a Difference Monday is a special meal at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in residential dining halls, which celebrates foods with a lower carbon footprint. Dining halls feature more vegetarian options, sustainable seafood, local and seasonal fruits and vegetables, and organic third-party certified foods, instead of higher carbon foods such as beef and pork.
Dining Services holds Sustainable Seafood panel
First field trip, to local dairy farm — Smith's Country Cheese in Winchendon, MA, with Keep Local Farms
Field trip to AD Makepeace cranberry bog and apple orchard for apple picking
Presented on Zero Waste at the AASHE Conference 2011
Boston University received a Silver rating from AASHE STARS
Dining Services was awarded points for sustainable purchasing, vegan dining, and more
2010
CSA and Composting
Impact this year: 1,131 tons of waste diverted from the landfill
First CSA box offered with Ward's Berry Farm
The brainchild of BU student Joe Nangle, Questrom ’12, the Farmers' Market partnered with Ward's Berry Farm to offer a weekly box of seasonal and fresh-picked fruits and vegetables each week to students, staff, and faculty at BU.
Began post-consumer composting at the GSU
Boston University received a Silver rating from AASHE STARS
Dining Services was awarded points for sustainable purchasing, trayless dining, and more
2009
Commitment to Zero Waste
Impact this year: 696 tons of waste diverted from the landfill
25-cent-mug discount is offered for reusable mug usage on campus
Compostable tableware replaces non-compostable
Zero Waste catering begins
Compostable tableware and recycling is sorted behind the scenes at staffed events. Garbage cans begin to disappear from the floor of events in 2010!
First Zero Waste Commencement: 11 tons are diverted
2008
Fueling the Initiative
Impact this year: 508 tons of waste diverted from the landfill
All dining halls go trayless
Food waste is reduced by an estimated 33%
Fryer oil begins diversion to biodiesel
First Farmers' Market
The first sustainability coordinator for Dining Services is hired
The Dining & Sustainability Committee is created
2007
A Commitment to Sustainability
Impact this year: 4.43 tons of waste saved
In partnership with Save that Stuff, all Dining Services employees and managers are trained on how to sort food waste and organics, recycling, and cardboard