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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: Meagan Jones
Title: Environmental Specialist
Date survey submitted: July 10, 2009
1) Total annual food budget: [$ 8 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?
[ X] No, however we do put emphasis on local purchases and are continually increasing our
local purchases.
[ ] 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)?
[ # 7 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # 4 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and
location of distributor: US Foodservice, Austin, Texas
The Division of Housing and Food Service is a partner of the Farm Direct program of the
Sustainable Food Center of Austin. This partnership connects us with many farmers in the
central Texas area. Weekly deliveries bring fresh, local produce to all of our dining facilities.
We currently purchase 5% percent of our products from local businesses.
A monthly Texas Fresh Focus highlights a local product that is used every day in a different
recipe for a week. Ex: Texas Peach Focus. Grilled Chicken with Peach Salsa, Peach Cobbler,
Peach Pie, etc.
Bi-annual Local Harvest Dinners feature foods from within 150 miles of our campus.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ 141,730 Calendar year 2008 ]
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, chicken, pecans, honey
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ 4 ] Number from which you purchase directly. Fiesta Tortilla, White Mountain Purist, Oak
Farms, Sass Dressings
[ 5 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and
location of distributor: US Foodservice, Austin, Texas
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
$442,085
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream,
baked goods, yogurt, cheese): Flour, tortillas, salad dressing, milk, tamales, baked goods
(specialty breads), sausage, beef products, egg rolls, baking mixes, barbecue sauce, honey
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ X] No
[ ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location:
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ X ] No, UT is located in an urban environment without land for such a project.
[ ] Yes. Please describe source and amount:
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please describe program: The Sustainable Food Center of Austin facilitates the Farm
Direct program which allows us to work with local farmers to provide fresh, local produce in our
dining facilities. Produce is delivered straight from the farmer on a weekly basis.
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD
12) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to the purchase of organic and/or sustainably produced food?
[ X ] No, but we do emphasize sustainable food purchases.
[ ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available:
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please list items: Coffee, soymilk, tofu, barbeque sauce
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ 27,934 ]
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).
[ 25 %] 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
[ ] 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). Tyson chicken products.
[ 45%] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat: Chicken.
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[ X ] No
[ ] 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?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please indicate. Pollock, Pacific Cod, Haddock, Tilapia, Alaska Wild Salmon,
Albacore Tuna
[ 99%] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used: Monterey Bay
Seafood Watch and Marine Stewardship Council standards
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: A
vegan soup is served daily at lunch and dinner in the dining halls. Every meal served in the dining
halls also has a minimum of one vegan or vegetarian entrée option. All food choices are color-coded
for content. Homemade vegan brownies are available most days of the week in our retail locations
and periodically in the dining halls. We operate the Jesta’ Healthy Store which offers vegan,
vegetarian and organic food items for sale.
21) Please list and give percentages for any other sustainably produced food items you purchase that are not included above:
Green Beans – 100%
Garbanzo Beans – 100%
Black Beans – 100%
FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS
22) Do you purchase Fair T rade Certified coffee?
[ ] No
[ ] Some. Please describe:
[ X ] All
23) Do you purchase other Fair T rade 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
[ X ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional): We have successfully transitioned 90% of our disposable items to
biodegradable/compostable materials. We are working to become 100%
biodegradable/compostable within the year.
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: Students receive a free reusable shopping bag with the purchase of
$15 worth of merchandise. They may also purchase these bags and use them during designated
hours to receive a 10% discount on all items purchased. Reusable cups and coffee mugs are for
sale and may be refilled at a discounted price at all retail locations.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
FOOD COMPOSTING AND WASTE DIVERSION
28) Do your dining facilities compost preconsumer food scraps?
[ X ] No
[ ] 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
[ ] 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.
* Up to 150 pounds of coffee grounds and filters from our dining locations are composted every
week with campus landscape waste.
We are working diligently to develop a pre- and post-consumer composting program and hope to
be composting food waste within the year. Compost bins are maintained outside two of our
residence halls by the Campus Environmental Center, a student environmental group.
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 picked up daily by a charity soup kitchen.
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: Both resident dining halls will be trayless as
of August 2009. A plate waste study will be conducted to determine the amount of food, water,
energy and dish room chemicals saved.
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 conducted two plate waste studies in the past 18 months to determine the amount of
post-consumer food waste in our ‘all-you-care-to-eat’ dining halls. The first study in Spring
2008 revealed an annual total of 112 tons per year. After the formation of a student focus group
and implementation of a food waste reduction action plan, the waste study was repeated in Fall
2008. This study revealed a 30% decrease in waste per patron, from 5.7oz to 3.9oz. A third
study will be conducted in Fall 2009 to determine the effects of trayless dining in our dining
halls.
Used cooking oil is collected and reused in other products. It is not currently being used to make
biodiesel.
RECYCLING OF TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
33) Please indicate which traditional materials your dining facilities recycle (check all that apply).
[ ] None
[ X ] Aluminum
[ X ] Cardboard
[ ] Glass
[ X ] Paper
[ ] Plastics (all)
[ X ] Plastics (some)
[ X] Other. Please list: Ink/toner cartridges, batteries, CFL’s
Used kitchen equipment, office furniture, electronics, etc. are sent to University surplus where
they are auctioned off for reuse.
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: Plastic, aluminum and paper recycling is available for public use in
all retail dining locations.
35) What is the dining services' cur rent waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable
waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ %] **No data available.
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: Dining services are operated by the Division of Housing
& Foodservice (DHFS).
[ ] 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: Division of Housing and Foodservice has a full-time environmental
specialist who coordinates sustainability initiatives within the division and also collaborates with
other university departments for special projects, events, etc. She is a member of the UT
Sustainability Network, a group of sustainability leaders on campus, and the UT Conservation
Action Team, a focus group of university members involved in energy efficiency upgrades
across campus.
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