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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: Jeremy Friedman
Title: Coordinator, NYU Sustainability Task Force (data from Facilities, Dining Services, Aramark Int’l)
Date survey submitted: 7-27-09
1) Total annual food budget: [$8.5 million ]
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:
Dining services has developed a "Sustainable Mission" that commits to offering locally grown (within 200 miles), organic and fair trade products where possible in residential dining and retail locations.
http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSE/NYU/DiningConsciousness/
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
3) From how many local forms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ # 2 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # 20 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Sid Wainer, J Kings, Sysco
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$800,000 ]
5) Please list foods you purchase that are grown or raised locally (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, fish, honey, maple syrup; foods that are processed locally should be listed in question 8):
Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Milk.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 6 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # approx. 20 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Sysco, Sid Wainer, J Kings
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ 900K ]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): Milk, Coffee, Cookies, Baked Goods, Ice Cream.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Hudson Valley Fresh, Hudson NY
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[x ] No
[x ] Yes. Please describe source and amount:
Plans are in place in coordination with the NYU Garden Shop to plant and harvest herbs from edible landscaping planters and terrace gardens at the Kimmel Center at NYU, starting in early 2010. However, the project (while already developed) has not yet been implemented.
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:
Dining services has developed a "Sustainable Mission" that commits to offering locally grown, organic and fair trade products where possible in residential dining and retail locations.
http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSE/NYU/DiningConsciousness/
NYU also hosts and supports the (external) Washington Square CSA in its buildings, so students, faculty and staff can buy a share for an annual assortment of local, organic vegetables. NYU provides pick-up locations and volunteers to run distribution, annually, and has for four years.
Organic, local food is included as “recommended” for catering, within the new NYU Environmental Purchasing Guide and Policy, and departmental procurement staff in charge of catering decisions are being encouraged to seek out local and organic foods for catered events and meetings.
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please list items: Produce, muffins, cookies, breads, prepared foods
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ 100,000 ]
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).
[ 100 %] Percentage cage-free shell eggs (not liquid carton 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).
[ 100%] Grass-fed. Type of animal product: Burgers at University Hall dining location
17) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free meat?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 100 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat: U-Hall Commons Cafe offers hormone-free burger, as is beef at University Hall.
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 25 %] 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.
[ %] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch for all seafood.
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:
Hayden and Weinstein Dining Halls have a vegan station that features locally grown produce grown through sustainable methods. All dining locations offer vegan and vegetarian menu choices every meal, every day. Exact average number of options available on a daily basis and average number of vegan meals served per week vary.
NYU was awarded special recognition by PETA and other organizations for top vegetarian and vegan variety and offerings.
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
[ ] Some. Please describe:
[ x ] All
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ ] No
[x ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 25 %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item: Tea in FY2009-2010
[ 10 %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item: Chocolate
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 Retail only – 2 locations out of 13
[x ] Postconsumer recycled content – all locations
[ x ] Biodegradable/compostable – several locations, piloting different materials – PLA, sugar cane, etc.
[ ] Other
Description (optional):
NYU's Meals 2 Go program utilizes biodegradable packaging/dishware.
Hayden Hall utilizes biodegradable cutlery.
Retail Meal exchange program utilizes PLA compostable cups and lids
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: discounts for reusable cup for water
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[] No
[ x] Yes. Please describe: Only as specified for National Brand of Chick-fil-A and Dunkin Donuts, third parties with independent ownership and decision-making.
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.
[ 100% - all locations – may be the largest composter in NYC!] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[5-12 tons/week since September 2008, totals not yet compiled – available in September 2009] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[x ] No
[ ] 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: Excess food is donated to City Harvest.
Dining Services also works with student-founded and –led organization “2 Birds/1 Stone”, a food donation advocacy group, which distributes to local food banks on a short-order / rush basis
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ ] No
[] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe:
[ x] Yes--standard practice. Please describe program including date started and, if available, data on reduced food waste or water consumption:
Four of the of five Residential Dining Rooms are trayless. Began in September 2008. Facility logistics (dish washing units) prevent the remaining hall from joining the trayless program until future renovations or other changes make it feasible.
Post-consumer dining hall waste reduction of 40% based on observed measurements!
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):
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
[ ] Plastics (all)
[ x ] Plastics (some)
[ ] Other. Please list:
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please describe: All retail locations
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ Data unavailable – dining hall waste and recycling aggregated with the rest of the building, and dining halls are not stand-alone structures, but generally paired with residence halls]
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: Operated by Aramark International, contract managed by NYU Dining Services
[ ] School operated. Please describe:
[ ] 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: Director of Dining meets regularly with Sustainability staff and is a member of the NYU Sustainability Task Force. Dining independently launches multiple sustainability projects annually, in coordination with the Task Force, and directly supports and advances student projects.
One example is that NYU is participating as one of less than a dozen “pilot schools” in the Clean Air, Cool Planet FoodPrint project. NYU will quantify its carbon footprint for food, using detailed invoicing of hundreds of ingredients and a cutting-edge calculator. This information will be reported in NYU’s greenhouse gas inventory in August or September 2009, and feedback will shape the calculator tool for hundreds of universities in the future.
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