Sustainability

Earth Choice Packaging

• Every EarthChoice product provides at least one of four benefits to the environment.
• Minerals added to various EarthChoice products result in roughly 50% less plastic than standard PP containers. Starches are used in other applications, thus reducing plastic usage.
• We purchase three compartment carry out container and microwavable meals containers from the PP & MFPP line from Earth Choice.
• We also purchase soup containers, cold salad containers and hot cups from the PLA line.
• These are all currently used in our current service format at Wilkerson Dining Center.
• You can learn more about Earth Choice and what they offer.

 Leanpath Program

• Leanpath food waste prevention technology enables commercial kitchens to dramatically reduce pre-consumer food waste and operate a more sustainable facility.
• Digital scales and data tracking software make pre-consumer food waste information easily accessible to leaders and front-line workers. Information is shared to implement more efficient processes and procedures. 
• When staff are following a recipe and make a mistake, they weigh the food that will be waste it and code it in the Leanpath system to be analyzed. 
• Food waste that is not edible is also measured through this program. This includes items like watermelon rinds. 
• You can learn more about the Leanpath Program and the steps they take to help reduce food waste.

Tray Study

• We compared waste between two dining centers, Squires and Wilkerson, and how much waste was produced. The largest difference between the two dining centers being that one had trays and one didn't.
• This was a blind study, meaning that guests did not know it was happening. It was completed in February, 2018 by the UND Dining Services team. The study was done on multiple days across the two different dining centers.