<< Back to Report Card
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: Jen Colby
Title: Sustainability Coordinator
Date survey submitted: 7-28-2009
Note to SEI program staff: The University of Utah is a doctorate-granting university with a major health sciences and hospital complex in addition to the main academic campus. There are three principal food service providers on campus, as well as several smaller contractors for small cafes and food outlets in specific buildings such as the Museum of Fine Arts. For the purposes of this survey, we are reporting on the main campus food service contractor, Chartwells, only. All information was provided by Reggie Conerly, district manager.
1) Total annual food budget: [$1,600,000]
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, Chartwells and parent company Compass group have initiated numerous local purchasing programs.
[ ] 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)?
[ #15] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # 15] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Muir Copper Canyon – new Compass Group program asks distributors to significantly increase local offerings.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$250,000+]
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):
produce in season (squash, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, onions, potatoes, melons, peaches, apples), mushrooms yearround, honey, dairy.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 10] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor:
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$200,000]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): all breads, some ice cream, cheese
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Meadow Gold, Odgen, Utah
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ ] No
[ x] Yes. Please describe source and amount: This program is just beginning, with strong support from students and Chartwells but with limited availability from the campus garden program. In fall, 2008 Chartwells purchased all items available that were grown by students and served them at the Housing and Residential Education cafeteria. These were mostly leafy greens such as chard. For EarthFest in April 2009, Chartwells used sprouts grown by the student garden program in its food booth.
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe program: Farm to Fork, direct sourcing from local vendors and procurement at the campus farmer’s market.
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:
General: http://www.cgnad.com/default.asp?action=article&ID=247
Sustainable Seafood Purchasing Policy (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines; working directly with suppliers to reduce impact of operations): http://www.cgnad.com/default.asp?action=article&ID=421
Low Carbon Diet Program (target=25% reduction): http://www.cgnad.com/default.asp?action=article&ID=551
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please list items: coffee; melons, garlic, potatoes. Catering services will also source organic products if requested by customers.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$50,000+]
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).
[ %] Percentage cage-free eggs
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
[100] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product: eggs
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).
[ %] 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?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product:
[100%] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product: milk, half-and-half, etc.
19) Do you purchase seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines or Marine Stewardship Council standards?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please indicate.
[70%] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used:
“Three years ago, Compass Group was the first company of its size, and in the contract foodservice industry, to pledge to the following:
1. Replace Atlantic cod, a species that leading conservation organizations have recommended that consumers avoid, with more the environmentally sound Pacific cod, Pollock and other alternatives.
2. Seek ways to decrease its use of shrimp and salmon that are farmed in an unsustainable manner. These two species are extremely popular with consumers but are of concern to conservation groups.
3. Eliminate all other 'Avoid' species found on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list, and
4. Increase its use of 'Best Choices.”
http://www.cgnad.com/default.asp?action=article&ID=421
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: sandwiches, salads, and entrees offered 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?
[ ] No
[x] Some. Please describe: local roaster Café Ibis (double and triple certified only) featured at Union Building food court; Starbucks and Seattles Best offerings at other locations also include Fair Trade.
[ ] All
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ ] No
[ x] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). Chocolate, teas. Do not have % available.
[ %] 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).
[ ] Plastic or polystyrene
[ ] Postconsumer recycled content
[x] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional): in 2008, Chartwells switched to all bio-based bio-degradeable and compostable disposable serviceware.
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 on hot and fountain beverages. Chartwells also sells low-cost refillable mugs to promote this.
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?
[ ] 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.
Chartwells provides trimmings and coffee grounds to the student garden program, which can currently only handle 5-10% of waste generated from Union kitchen.
[ %] 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. Not tracked at this point.
30) Do your dining facilities donate excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter, etc.?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe: Waste minimization strategy tries to limit amount of unsold food. At end of week, pre-packaged unsold usable items are donated to local food banks.
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: Initiated by Housing and Residential Education student leadership team. Main cafeteria went trayless at the beginning of spring semester 2009 and was generally well received. Data on waste reduction not yet available.
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): Trim Trax auditing program (corporate-initiated) quantifies pre-consumer produce prep waste, and allows staff to have a tool to reduce waste over time. Cooking oil is collected and recycled.
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)
[ ] Other. Please list:
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe:
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ %] Approx.500# of cardboard per week/ other waste not tracked
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: Chartwells, a division of Compass Group, is the primary food service provider on main campus.
[ ] 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: Member of the Office of Sustainability Working Group (meets monthly).
<< Back to Report Card