Long committed to recycling efforts and helping the University participate in reaching its goal as a green and zero discharge operation, the Food & Vending operations participate in a variety of activities designed to save resources and reduce the garbage stream from the University. Some of these include:
•Aluminum, plastic and glass are recycled from all areas
•Cardboard boxes are compacted, baled and picked up by a paper recycler
•Purchases are made when available with “Pouch-Pack” packaging which eliminates cans and bottles, thus taking up less transportation and storage space
•Bulk ordering (salad dressings, frying oils and the like) reduces excess containers and helps to hold down costs
•Pop, juice and water bottles are delivered to campus in returnable cases
•Bakery products are delivered to campus in Rubber Maid ® containers that are reused daily, thus eliminating bakery boxes
•Food grade plastic containers are washed and re-used for other needs or recycled
•Food grade plastic buckets are washed and re-used
•Non-food grade plastic buckets are saved and given away to other departments for non-food use, giving these buckets a second life
•Hot beverage vending machines allow customers to use their own mugs in lieu of using a machine-supplied cup
•Since 1995, unbleached napkins have been used in Food and Vending operations, keeping bleach and other whitening chemicals out of the paper making process
•Dining Center curtains and tinted windows reduce the demand placed on air- conditioning
•State-of-the-art Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified dishwashing machine installed in the Dining Center (DC) August, 2006 - replaced two smaller/older machines that had longer run-times; use of steam heat saves water; larger wash chamber ensures shorter run time, resulting in less water consumption than the previous unit; new unit utilizes rise and wash water more efficiently before releasing it to waste water stream. Water consumption was reduced by 35% after installation of this Hobart Flight-Type warewasher; electric power and soap reduction also realized from the installation of this unit
• Dining Center and Dish Room lighting improvements in 2007 include retrofitting inefficient bulbs/lamps and ballasts with energy efficient (low wattage/high output) lighting products
•Washable dishware, linen napkins and table cloths are used where applicable for events hosted by the Catering Department
•Plaza Food Court customers may supply their own coffee mugs and receive a discount on their beverage
•Food Court trays supplied for customer convenience, reducing paper bag usage
•Additional recycling bins now located in Food Court seating area for recycling aluminum, glass and plastic
•State-of-the-art Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified pot and pan washing machine installed in Production Kitchen in 2007 saves water, soap and electricity, similar to the previously noted DC installation
•Leftover food that can’t be used by the UMD Food Service is picked up by Northern Lakes Food Bank and utilized at area shelters. These food donations are sent back and forth in reusable containers.
•The beverage contract that just concluded was awarded utilizing weighted selection criteria and “recycling” was the second item on the list
•Departmental computer and ink /toner cartridges are recycled from all departments
• Most basic cleaning chemicals are “green” certified, indicating these products are environmentally friendly. In addition, modern chemical dispensing systems are utilized to reduce overuse and to ensure the proper dilutions are used.
•The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) is using the Food Operations pulpers as part of a large-scale composting program; this started operating in late 2000 and will further reduce the amount of garbage entering the local waste stream. Additionally newly installed state-of-the-art pulpers in the Dining Center Dish Room and the Production Kitchen operate using recycled cool water; food grease (ultimately picked up by a local rendering company) is deposited in the pulpers and not in the waste water stream. Scrap food from the pulping operations is collected and mulched at the WLSSD, resulting in lower tipping fees for the University. This very successful operation has been featured on local media outlets and the finished product provides a high quality fertilizer to area residents, proving also to be a profitable venture for the WLSSD.This turns garbage into cash.
ALERT At the close of Spring Semester 2008, the Food Court was missing approximately 1,600 of its red trays. This has been an ongoing problem over the years but current tray losses are at an all-time high. These are the trays customers place their food and drinks on and carry to their table or place of consumption. When that location is away from the Food Court, virtually none of the customers return their trays to the Food Court. (The Food Court staff sends a tray roundup crew around campus two times per week year around, to retrieve these trays.) These trays are used to minimize the amount of packaging connected with each person’s food order. We are requesting your ideas to combat this ever increasing tray loss issue. Remember, we’re trying to reduce disposable items (bags, cardboard carriers and the like) from inclusion with food orders so please consider that in your response to the Food Service.
*• Food Court eating utensils were relocated to a spot near the cash registers in Sept. 2007 - they were formerly “out in the open” and passersby routinely grabbed a handful of these items, raising costs to all. These were ultimately tossed in the trash; this relocation reduced excess consumption and, as a result, we saw a 30-40% reduction of these items entering the waste stream.
*• End of Fall Semester 2007, Food Court eating utensils were switched to a biodegradable product; those items entering the waste stream will now break down and decompose unlike the formerly used tableware
*•Reduced the use of foam plates and cups in Food Service operations by 80% in the summer of 2007; foam products are used now only to ensure customer safety is not compromised
*•Lamps and fixtures in various sections of the Food Court (Burger Hub, Center Court, Grab ‘N Go) were changed to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) in November 2007; this resulted in an average 82% reduction in power consumption with no corresponding loss of illumination
*• New Xpressnap tabletop napkin dispensers greatly reduce napkin (paper) waste in the Dining Center. These dispensers increase hygiene and cut waste by delivering one napkin at a time. Customers touch only the napkins they take and take only what they use. Additionally, AD a Glance message panels on the sides of the dispensers can be used for promotions by student organizations and/or University announcements.
*•Food Court Xpressnap Stand Napkin dispensers, now located in this high volume eating area, have resulted in savings of 25% reduction in napkin usage although actual results often show savings as high as 40%. Utilizing this recently introduced product saves labor, too, as each dispenser holds up to 900 napkins, nearly three times the capacity of traditional dispensers.
*•Pre-cleaned & cut produce and fruit are purchased when feasible to reduce food waste
*•Produce waste records for over-production, out dated, discarded food and “trim” on produce items; employees are trained in minimizing “trim” from these products
*•Service records are maintained so that prepared amounts of food match demand - food consumption is tracked to save money initially and later to reduce garbage
*•Smaller food containers are used on salad lines, buffets and hot lines to prevent over preparation and reduce spoilage
*•DC portion sizes are served to encourage customers to return for “seconds” rather than over-serving initially, resulting in food waste
*•Computerized weekly inventories are conducted in all areas - helps to keep food products low and avoid waste and spoilage
*•Foods are prepared in smaller batches throughout the day and appropriate meal period
*•Food products are dated as they are received and rotated to ensure freshness and quality and reduce waste
*•Fountain pop sales incentives are promoted to reduce the use of cans and bottles
*•Computerized recipes utilized to make exact numbers of needed proportions
*•Fair Trade coffee is offered as an option in the Northern Shores Coffee House; in addition, Divine Chocolate, another Fair Trade option, is also offered there, giving customers a choice.
*•Empty buckets are used in recycling and/or donated to organizations
*•Stainless steel serving pans utilized when feasible rather than aluminum foil disposable pans
*•Cloth towels that can be used many times are laundered and placed back into service, unlike a “use once and toss” paper towel
*•A green degreaser is used in various Food Service venues - replaced a non-green product
*•Paper straws purchased to replace the former plastic product 5-27-08
*•Fall Semester 2008: Housing, Northern Shores Coffee Shop and the Food Court have combined efforts and distributed 3,000 mugs to on-campus residents; these mugs may be used multiple times and filled with beverages in either retail location AND the user will receive a discount each time it’s used
PRINTING SERVICES :
* recycle paper wrappers, reusing cardboard cartons for deliveries
* using paper with high recycled content while maintaining print quality
* convert paper off cuts (end cuts) into notepads rather than throwing in the trash
* keep envelope stock and cut sheet papers on just-in-time basis as much as possible to avoid spoilage due to humidity or lack thereof
* returning toner cartridges back to vendor for reuse/recycling - sent back at vendor expense and at their request
* recycle used paper for fax sheets, fax tracking sheets, file copies of invoices
* environmentally friendly dishwashing soap at the backroom sink
Note: Printing doesn’t use liquid chemicals now that offset printing is no longer a part of its operation
HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE :
•Changed more than 550 light fixtures in public areas from fixtures with two 40 watt T-12 bulbs to fixtures that use one 32 watt T-8 bulb
•Changed more than 3,500 incandescent bulbs in desk lamps and swag lights to compact fluorescent bulbs
•Converted 350 shower heads in apartments and residence halls to shower heads with a flow rate of 1.75 gallons per minute, in an effort to reduce water consumption
•Continue recycling program for residents so they can recycle glass, plastic, tin cans, aluminum cans, mixed paper and cardboard. Between 60 and 65 tons of material are recycled each year from UMD housing residents
•Work with local social service agencies to promote re-use of older furnishings that are being replaced
•Participant in the NE Minnesota Mattress Recycling Project
•Offer collection sites at the end of the school year for residents to donate clothing, furniture and food items that can be passed on to social service agencies
•Currently participating in a Lake Superior Hall multi-year window replacement project, utilizing newly designed, high efficiency window units to reduce heat loss
UMD STORES
•Magazines and catalogs are recycled
•Every cash register and office has a paper recycling bin adjacent to it
•All large envelopes are saved and re-used for intra-campus mail purposes
•Staff work room has a paper recycling stack so staffers can use the back side of documents for printing non-critical items
• Battery and ink cartridge recycling bins are available for all to use; ink cartridge mailing bags are available for customers to use to recycle ink cartridges
•Packing supplies and boxes are reused for reshipping purposes whenever possible
•Merchandise bags, computer paper and the like are purchased in bulk to lower shipping costs
•Sponsors energy event offering Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs and lamps that use CFL’s; additional energy savings ideas are also displayed at this event
•Earth Day week features recycled products sale, promoting them and encouraging customers to use environmentally friendly products
•Street level store lights are timer controlled to conserve energy
•Staff training periodically reviews energy and cost savings issues such as turning off lights, use and conservation of store supplies and the like, to raise awareness of the impact on store results
•Supervisors are trained to ensure lighting is off and equipment is off during non-business hours
•Covers are pulled down on refrigerated cooler cases during non-business hours to conserve energy and lower costs
*•UMD Stores: Beginning Fall 2008 UMD Stores are selling Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s) and lighting products on a retail basis, taking over sales formerly conducted by Daugherty’s Hardware; all items sold are approved for use in residence halls and apartments.
*•UMD Stores: During Fall 2008 the UMD Stores and UCard Office disbursed 10,000 reusable bags. These bags will be used for those reserving books for Fall Semester. Widespread bag use will be encouraged when the UMD community purchases sustainable items. The balance of the bags will be disbursed in other promotions or at greatly reduced prices.
*NEW: (* item added AFTER “Zero” flyer/handout produced in late 2007 by VCFO
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January 7, 2009
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