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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: Bill Pageau
Title: Administrator, McGill Food and Dining Services
Date survey submitted: July 20, 2009
1) Total annual food budget: [$ 2,000,000.00 ]
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: Chartwell’s * purchasing initiatives focus on responsible and sustainable practices in our supply chains and promote local purchasing. (*McGill food services are provided by Chartwell’s, a division of Compass Group Canada) http://www.dineoncampus.ca/mcgill/?cmd=CorporateSustainability
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
3) From how many local farms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[0 ] Number from which you purchase directly. (Due to Compass Group purchasing policies)
[ 15 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Hector Larivée (approved distributer: 1755 rue Bercy, Montréal (QC) H2K 2T9) buys from 12 local distributers which in turn buy from 15 local farms.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ unknown] These purchases are not tracked by McGill as they are done through Compass Group. Efforts are currently underway to obtain this information.
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):
Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green beans, spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, maple syrup, various herbs and spices.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ 12 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Hector Larivée (approved distributer: 1755 rue Bercy, Montréal (QC) H2K 2T9)
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ unknown –these purchases are not tracked separately ]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): bread, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese, presliced fruit, fruit salad, precut veggies, pesto, potatoes, prepared salads
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Québon; Agropur Division, Natrel Consumer Relations, 333 Boulevard Lebeau, St. Laurent, Quebec H4N 1S3
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please describe source and amount: Organic Campus is a non-profit student organization which brings local and organic foods to the McGill community. Campus Crops grows vegetables, fruits, and herbs on campus for students, but not through dining services.
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe program:
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: http://www.dineoncampus.ca/mcgill/?cmd=CorporateSustainability Chartwells is advised by seachoice (http://www.seachoice.org/ ) to guide sustainable seafood choices for McGill.
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please list items: Dining Services co-sponsors the annual Fall farmer's market (student-run) on the McGill campus. Also purchase organically grown and produced beverages, health bars and snacks.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ 20,000 - $40,000 approximately ]
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?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 80%] Percentage cage-free eggs
[ %] Percentage confinement-free*. Type of meat product: *Product not available
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
16) Do you purchase any grass-fed animal products?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
17) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free meat?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). All products purchased by McGill are hormone-free, but may have some antibiotics (proportion unknown). Note that availability of such products differs in Canada from the United States.
[ 100 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat: All
[ ?? %] 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). (See response above.)
[ 100 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product: All
[ ?? %] 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. Dining services partnered with Ocean Watch and the Vancouver Aquarium in promoting sustainable seafood. Thus far, Atlantic Cod and Atlantic salmon have been eliminated from purchases. All seafood purchased by McGill meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines
[ 94.5 %] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used:
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: Offered across campus during the regular session and in the New Residence Hall as well for residential dining.
21) Please list and give percentages for any other sustainably produced food items you purchase that are not included above:
FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS
22) Do you purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee?
[ ] No
[ x ] Some. Please describe: 90% of coffee offered on campus is Fair Trade certified (Starbucks, Seattle’s best).
[ ] All
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
25) If you offer disposables, please indicate materials used (check all that apply).
[ X] Plastic or polystyrene
[ ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional): Only recyclable plastics used. In the case of to-go catering, only recyclable containers are used.
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: Every student on a meal plan is given a reusable mug. McGill offers a $0.20 discount whenever a reusable mug is used.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[ x ] No
[ negligible ] Yes. Please describe: Small amount used for takeout soup, only (16 oz soup bowls).
FOOD COMPOSTING AND WASTE DIVERSION
28) Do your dining facilities compost preconsumer food scraps?
[ X ] No NB: McGill is currently reviewing campus-wide composting of pre- and post-consumer food scraps.
[ 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.
[ %] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[ X ] No (See note above.)
[ ] 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.
[ %] Proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of postconsumer compost.
30) Do your dining facilities donate excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter, etc.?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: All excess catering, production sent to food bank.
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ ] No-
[ X ] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe: Most retail locations on campus are trayless. Dining halls do have trays due to strong customer preference, but no “all you can eat” services.
[ ] 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): Recycle used cooking oil, food waste audits, Trim Trax program.
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)
[ X ] Plastics (some)
[ x ] Other. Please list: Cooking oil
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: Separate receptacles for glass, aluminum & plastics and for paper are available at all dining facilities throughout campus. They are conveniently located, clearly marked and highly visible.
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ 25% ]
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:
[ x ] Contracted. Please describe: Contracted through Martlet Meal Plans Chartwells, Sodexho, Matteo, Subway, Sinfully Asian
[ X ] School operated. Please describe: We have integrated the McGill Residential (McGill staff) dining into McGill Food and Dining (contracted)
[ ] 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: Bill Pageau (respondant) is a member of McGill’s Subcommittee on the Environment ( https://home.mcgill.ca/sustainability/group/sce/), and is involved in the McGill Food Systems Project. This cooperative project between students, McGill Food and Dining Services, and the McGill Office of Sustainability, uses student research and community collaboration to improve the food operations on our campuses. By engaging the McGill community in consultation, facilitating McGill-focused research projects, and supporting sustainable change in McGill's policies and operations, the Project endeavors to maximize the ecological, social and economic sustainability of McGill's food systems.
Other initiatives in which Mr. Pageau is involved include:
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