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With the publication of the College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these surveys offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the summer of 2009. To access surveys from other schools, go to the surveys section of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name:
Title:
Date survey submitted:
1) Total annual food budget: [$ 2.3 mil ]
LOCALLY GROWN AND PRODUCED FOOD
Note: Geographic location and seasonal availability are taken into account in assessing your response. "Local" is defined as within 150 miles of your campus.
2) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to local purchases?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available: Amherst College Dining Services makes every effort to purchase local products when available and affordable. This includes support of many small local businesses https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/dining/buylocal
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
3) From how many local farms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ #14 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ #10 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Squash Trucking, Belchertown, MA.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ 55,000.00]
5) Please list foods you purchase that are grown or raised locally (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, fish, honey, maple syrup; foods that are processed locally should be listed in question 8): We purchase fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, meat, milk, cheese, seafood, maple syrup and honey.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ #7 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ #10] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Squash Trucking, Belchertown, MA., City Line Distributors, West Haven, CT., PFG, Springfield, MA.
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ 371,00.00]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): Salad dressings, bread, Fresh vegetables, Cheese, Poultry, juices, Soda’s, Coffee, cranberry sauce, Milk & dairy products, doughnuts, cider, eggs, vegetarian/vegan items, spices, ham, turkey, beef, ice cream, pasta’s, pesto and Asian sauces.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: HP Hood, Boston, MA.
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe source and amount:
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe program: Mass Farm to School Program’s Mass. Harvest for Students Week, the last week in September. This is a new initiative by the state of Massachusetts in the last few years celebrating and supporting local agriculture. During this Week schools, kindergarten through college, are asked to purchase, serve, and highlight fresh locally grown food on their menus at least once and preferably all week. Schools will also be encouraged to focus on school gardens, trips to farms, agricultural themes in the classroom, etc.
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD
12) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to the purchase of organic and/or sustainably produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available: Local, organic fruits and vegetables are served when possible; all milk is hormone-free; all coffee is organic and fair trade. URL: https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/dining/food_facts
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please list items: Some, fruits & vegetables, beef and all our coffee products.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ 21,000.00]
For questions 15-19, please indicate percentage based on annual dollar amount spent.
15) Do you purchase cage-free eggs and/or confinement-free meat products?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage cage-free eggs
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
16) Do you purchase any grass-fed animal products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). When we purchase local beef it is grass-fed.
[ 1%] Grass-fed. Type of animal product: Beef
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
17) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free meat?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). When we purchase local beef, it is antibiotic-free
[ 1%] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat: Beef
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 100 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product: Milk
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product:
19) Do you purchase seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines or Marine Stewardship Council standards?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate. A few years ago we initiated a Sustainable Seafood Program. We have made several changes to our menu and seafood products using guidelines established by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” program. We are committed to this program and will continue making changes in our seafood purchasing.
[ 85%] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used: “Seafood Watch”
20) Do you offer specifically labeled vegan entrees on a daily, weekly, or other regularly scheduled basis?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please specify number of options and the frequency with which they are offered: Vegan entrees and desserts are available at every meal.
21) Please list and give percentages for any other sustainably produced food items you purchase that are not included above: N/A
FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS
22) Do you purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee?
[ ] No
[ ] Some. Please describe:
[ X ] All: All coffee, both regular and decaf, is organic and fair trade.
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item:
DISHWARE AND ECO-FRIENDLY INCENTIVES
24) Please indicate which of following your university-operated/contracted dining facilities offers.
[ ] Disposable dishware
[ ] Only reusable dishware
[ X ] Reusable and disposable dishware We promote the use of reusable dishware/flatware in our dining program. We do not provide any disposable products in the dining hall. The use of disposable products are used only in the case of an emergency, for to-go sick meals and out-door all campus events. When the need arises for the use of disposables, we provide biodegradable/compostable items.
25) If you offer disposables, please indicate materials used (check all that apply).
[ ] Plastic or polystyrene
[ X ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional):
26) Do your dining facilities offer discounts or cash incentives to individuals using reusable dishware, bringing a bag, or bringing reusable containers?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: This year we will be providing all students with Travel Mugs (made of recycled material) to use in the dining hall during meals, as well as for to-go items. As an incentive to bring/use the mug, we will be offering a discount on coffee at our Coffee House. Anyone that brings their “Amherst Travel Mug” to our Coffee House can purchase a large coffee for the price of a small coffee.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: We use “Styrofoam” on a limited basis (less than 1%) in our catering operation.
FOOD COMPOSTING AND WASTE DIVERSION
28) Do your dining facilities compost preconsumer food scraps?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate the proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs (e.g. two out of five dining facilities) and, if available, the combined annual tonnage composted.
[ 50 %] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[ 12-24 ] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost. We have a program set up with a few Dining Service employees that compost for personal use. This equates to approximately 7000lbs (3 ½ tons) of food waste per year. In addition, this past year we started collecting some preconsumer waste from food processing this has increased the annual tonnage by approximately 12-24 tons (see #35 for explanation). We expect to increase collection of preconsumer and postconsumer waste by the end of August 2009, as we are installing a hydraulic lift to dump our 22gal. food waste containers making it easier to move larger quantities. Over this next year we plan on including our Coffee House in the collection of pre & postconsumer food waste. This will result in 100% of Dining Services involvement in food waste composting.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate the proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs (e.g. two out of five dining facilities) and, if available, the combined annual tonnage composted.
[ 50 %] Proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs.
[ 1 ] Annual tonnage of postconsumer compost. We are very pleased to say that over the last year we initiated a comprehensive composting program collecting post consumer waste. This program is in its infancy and annual tonnage is expected to increase substantially during the coming year! See # 28.
30) Do your dining facilities donate excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter, etc.?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: For many years Amherst College Dining Services has been donating excess food to local shelters. We recycle our used cooking oil to a rendering company, as well as for biodiesel use.
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ X ] No Though no formal program, this September (2009) we will be conducting an exercise (going trayless) over a several day period in our dining hall to assess the possibilities!
[ ] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe:
[ ] Yes--standard practice. Please describe program including date started and, if available, data on reduced food waste or water consumption:
32) Please tell us about any other steps your dining facilities have taken to reduce waste (e.g., food waste auditing, recycling used cooking oil for biodiesel production): We have reduced the portion size of many menu items served to our customers. We have a program in which Dining Services in conjunction with a group (Amherst Green Project) of Amherst students promote/educate our college community in reducing food waste. We have done this through signage promoting “take less come back for more”. We also work with this same group of students collecting, weighing and displaying (in the dining hall) postconsumer food waste from a previous meal(s). This has been a very powerful exercise in the fight to reduce waste! We also provide used cooking oil to a college employee that converts to biodiesel for personal use.
RECYCLING OF TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
33) Please indicate which traditional materials your dining facilities recycle (check all that apply).
[ ] None
[ X ] Aluminum
[ X ] Cardboard
[ X ] Glass
[ X ] Paper
[ X ] Plastics (all)
[ ] Plastics (some)
[ X ] Other. Please list: Plastic shrink wrap is sent to Amherst's vendor for recycling; used coffee grinds are made available to employees for their home gardens; grease is sent to a rendering company for recycling. We also recycle light bulbs, batteries and printer cartridges.
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: We have receptacles in the front and back of the house (consumer use & back of the house employee use) intended for food waste and the above mentioned #33 non food items.
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)? Amherst College’s dining services has recyclables and waste picked up as part of a broader campus collection. As a result, exact weights for most recyclables are unavailable.
Looking at the broader campus-wide data, for 2008, over 33% of the routine solid waste collected was diverted for recycling (including routine trash and recyclables, paper, bottles & cans, and cardboard, but excluding construction & demolition materials, scrap metal, computers & electronics, and landscaping wastes).
Though exact tonnages are unavailable, many of the dining commons wastes are recycled or composted.
Pre-consumer food wastes have been collected from the dining commons since July 2008. To determine the impact of that collection, we compared the monthly tonnage in 2008 to the tons from that same month from the previous 3 years. From July – November, we have seen a decrease of 2-4 tons per month or about a 5-10% decline in total campus trash tonnage. That is primarily attributable to the composting effort as the College did not initiate any other new waste diversion initiatives during that time and did not see significant economy-related declines in trash generation until December when the monthly decline in trash generation grew to 6-8 tons per month.
Commingled bottles & cans are collected from all parts of dining services operations. In addition paper is collected for recycling from Dining Services offices, newspaper distribution areas in the dining rooms, and other miscellaneous papers (such as table tents). Though exact tonnages are unavailable, we do have volume based numbers from out collection crews. During FY2008-09, about 76 cubic yards of paper and nearly 325 cubic yards of commingled bottles & cans were recycled from Valentine Hall (including both the Dining Hall and the 2 floors of residence hall located above).
Cardboard from Valentine Dining hall is collected for recycling and baled, about 35 tons per year (the equivalent of nearly eliminating all trash on campus for a month).
By contrast, Valentine has 2 2-yard trash dumpsters (total for both the Dining Hall and the 2 floors of Residence Hall located above) which are emptied each weekday.
[ %]
AFFILIATIONS
Questions 36-37 are for informational purposes only; responses will NOT be included in the Report Card evaluation process.
36) Indicate if your dining services are:
[ ] Contracted. Please describe:
[ X ] School operated. Please describe: Self-operated, all employees are employed by the college.
[ ] Other. Please describe:
37) Is the dining services director, or another dining services staff person, a member of any campus-wide environmental/sustainability initiatives or committees at your school?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: The Director works very closely with the “Green Amherst Project” a group of students that advocate for environmental protection, awareness, and appreciation on campus, in the community, and on a national level.
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