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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: Liz Christiansen
Title: Director, Office of Sustainability
Date survey submitted: August 12, 2009
1) Total annual food budget: $ 5.1 M for Iowa Memorial Union food services. For Residence Hall dining the total operating budget is $14.5M with food purchases of $4.7M.
LOCALLY GROWN AND PRODUCED FOOD
Note: Geographic location and seasonal availability are taken into account in assessing your response. "Local" is defined as within 150 miles of your campus.
2) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to local purchases?
[ X ] No These are being developed for both the Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available:
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
3) From how many local forms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ # 2] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # 6 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: For both the Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining: New Pioneer Food Coop and United Natural Foods, Iowa City, Iowa. Martin Brothers Distribution, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Hawkeye Foods, Tiffin, Iowa.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ 40,000] This amount is for Residential Dining only – we do not yet have that information for the Iowa Memorial Union.
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): For the Iowa Memorial Union: pork, chicken, dairy products, produce. For Residential Dining: cage free/organic eggs and sprouts.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 1 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: This is currently being researched for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ approximately $20,000 at the Iowa Memorial Union. ]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): Ice cream, dairy products for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No,
[X] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Roberts Dairy, Iowa City, Iowa for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ X] No, Residential Dining has established a small vegetable, herb and flower garden behind Burge Hall, which we plan to increase next year.
[ X] Yes. Please describe source and amount: For the Iowa Memorial Union, this is the first year of the establishment of the student garden so it is difficult to estimate. So far, lettuces, squash, tomatoes and radishes have been used from the garden.
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe program: The Iowa Memorial Union is working with the Johnson County Local Food Alliance http://www.jclfa.org/ Residential Dining is working with the University of Iowa Student Environmental Coalition.
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD
12) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to the purchase of organic and/or sustainably produced food?
[ X ] No These are currently being developed for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available:
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No,
[ X ] Yes. Please list items: Produce for the Iowa Memorial Union. For Residential Dining – apples, granola, breads, deli meats, and cheeses.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
Approximately $10,000 at the Iowa Memorial Union and approximately $15,000 for Residential Dining.
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 – Iowa Memorial Union
[ X] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). Residential Dining
[ 90%] 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?
[ X ] No. This applies to both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] 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?
[ X ] No, This applies to both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining..
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[X] No This applies to both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product:
[ %] 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?
[X ] No This applies to both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Yes. Please indicate.
[ %] 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: Minimum of two options daily at the Iowa Memorial Union. At Residential Dining - one vegan entrée and soup are provided daily.
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?
[ X] No At Residential Dining.
[ ] Some. Please describe:
[ X ] All At Iowa Memorial Union.
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[X ] No - for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] 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 for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
25) If you offer disposables, please indicate materials used (check all that apply).
[ X ] Plastic or polystyrene – At Residential Dining.
[ ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable – At Iowa Memorial Union.
[ ] 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?
[ X ] No – At Residential Dining.
[X ] Yes. Please describe: At Iowa Memorial Union -reusable mugs are available for sale for coffee and soft drinks. After the first purchase, free refills are available.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[X ] No We have discontinued use of polystyrene products in both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
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. Preconsumer food waste is collected for composting from Residential Dining facilities but not from the Iowa Memorial Union café or catering services.
[ %] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost. About 1.5 tons per week.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[ X ] No - for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] 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: For both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining, excess food is donated to Table-to-Table.
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ X] No – at Iowa Memorial Union.
[ X] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe: At Residential Dining, we encourage going trayless everyday and provide a trayless opportunity the week of Earth Day.
[ ] 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):
More accurate food production records have resulting in reducing food waste in the Iowa Memorial Food Services by 15%. Residential Dining has created and promotes its “Smart Choices” Program to inform and raise the level of awareness among our students. We have reduced the number of “self-service” items to maintain portion control. We have also expanded the practice of “just in time cooking”. Last year we were able to reduce our overall purchases by roughly $300,000.
RECYCLING OF TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
33) Please indicate which traditional materials your dining facilities recycle (check all that apply).
[ ] None
[ X] Aluminum – Iowa Memorial Union only
[ X ] Cardboard - both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Glass
[ X ] Paper - for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] Plastics (all)
[ X ] Plastics (some) – Residential Dining only
[ X] Other. Please list: Non-aluminum cans, Residential Dining only.
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ X ] No – Residential Dining only
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: At Iowa Memorial Union, there are recycling receptacles placed for the collection of redeemable beverage containers (Iowa is a bottle bill state).
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ %] For Iowa Memorial Union only, approximately 10% diversion is currently being achieved in the Iowa Memorial Union dining services. Residential Dining is not able to provide information at this time.
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: for both Iowa Memorial Union and Residential Dining.
[ ] 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?
[X ] No The Office of Sustainability works closely with the Director of Food Services for the Iowa Memorial Union to increase the purchase of local foods and to promote recycling and composting.
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: The Hillcrest Market Place Manager serves on the University Housing Sustainability Committee and also coordinates all recycling and composting activities for Residential Dining.
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