Sustainability

Campus Initiatives

As a guest, it is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine at a NazDining outlet. We know today's college students want to do the right thing for the planet and we also understand you lead busy lives, so your NazDining chefs and managers do a lot of the work for you behind the scenes!

Your campus team is committed to providing you with an exceptional dining experience that is both good for you and the planet from before you dine with us to after you leave. We do everything from purchase local seasonal produce whenever possible to reducing inorganic and organic food waste

We support the on-campus Oak Tree Food Pantry and The Open-Door Mission with donations and unused food.

Babylon Micro-Farm:

We installed a Babylon Micro-Farm in the Dining Commons in January, where students can watch the food grow. It is designed to increase sustainable food sourcing and engagement while creating unique culinary experiences.

Items that can be grown in the micro-farm include: lettuces such as romaine and iceberg; leafy greens such as bok choy and kale; herbs such as sage, thyme, mint and basil; and flowers such as marigolds and pansies. Items grown in the on-campus micro-farm will be incorporated into dishes as ingredients or garnishes, and the dining team is planning several student activities involving the micro-farm.

The farm fits with Nazareth University Dining's mission to provide sustainable, clean, and fresh food for the betterment, health, and longevity of students and the Earth. The partnership bodes well as both groups share the common initiative of sustainability and providing locally sourced options to those they serve.

Local Suppliers

We use local and organic meats & vegetables throughout our dining services.

NazDining sources 30% of purchases from local vendors. Local products are procured from farms and providers located within 250 miles of Nazareth University.

• Inkwater Coffee
• Donuts Delights
• SoHo Bagels
• Pittsford Dairy
• General Mills
• Red Jacket Cider
• Jenn's Cookies
• Palmer Foods
• Zweigles Hot Dogs
• Chobani Yogurt
• Rich's
• Upstate Farms
• Hershey's Ice Cream

Choose To Use Green Container Program

We are proud to offer a reusable to-go container program at our dining commons to promote sustainability while making it convenient for students/faculty/staff to grab-and-go. Our Green containers are made with BPA-free and NSF-approved materials. You can purchase a container for $3.50 from our dining commons cashier, fill up your multi-compartment container, and take it away! When you return, bring your empty container back for us to wash it for you, and grab a new clean one to fill again. For more details, please speak with our cashier or one of our dining commons supervisors.

We do not use trays on our campus. Customers without trays typically waste less food and beverages. It is also a healthier approach to eating, as we all know that at times our eyes are bigger than our stomach. Tray-less dining also reduces the amount of water and detergents needed to wash trays - and saves energy, too!

Xprss Nap

Xpress Nap Dispensers save energy and waste. Not only are the napkins are made of 100% recycled paper, the dispensers encourage customers to take (and waste) fewer napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material.

Recycling

We recycle and partner with R.O.C.K.S. on campus to reduce and reuse material. On Campus we recycle the following products: cardboard, glass, steel, aluminum, paper, plastic, and e-waste. All our napkins and paper products are made from recyclable materials.

We also recycle our cooking oil into biodiesel!

Composting

Food waste in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas which is 21x more potent than CO2. (http://www.epa.gov) Our priority is to reduce food waste. We compost food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; also, we enhance and amend soil health by improving soil structure, enhancing micro-organism content, increasing drought tolerance, and reducing need for water and fertilizers. Our Dining areas, from retail operations to the Dining Commons, composts 100% of waste, pre-consumer. The Dining Commons also engages in 100% post-consumer composting. Through these efforts, NazDining can divert tons of waste per month from landfills and create compost to be used across campus. Look for ways to get involved in these initiatives.