Social Responsibility

1. Bagasse: Eating food on food!
2. Corn: Straws & Containers
3. Dioxin Free
4. Fair-Trade - It Matters!
5. Fryer Oil: Oil to Fuel!
6. Green Seal: Ask?
7. Nutrition 411: balance, mind, body and soul
8. Organic: We've got it!
9. Sustainable Seafood
10. Spudware: Eating food with food!
11. Trans Fat Free Zone
12. Ask About Values & Deals
13. Vegan, No problem
14. Vermicomposting: Trying it!

Sustainable Footprint

"ERASE the past by changing today"
Environmental mindset of an individual, group or organization…
Responsibility to ensure future generations will not be left without…
Ability to enact policies and systems that ensure our success…
Stewardship to keep balance in the use of our natural resources…
Educating everyone to work together for a sustainable future…

"The result will contribute to the reduction and reuse of materials produced or created through natural means; by embracing a symbiotic relationship within the environment we work and live."

Sustainability actions that have brought us were we are today.

Over three years ago we began to make changes in our operation by switching our coffee to an organic fair trade blend. This became the catalyst for education and the vehicle for change for my team and I. When students and faculty met with us they questioned the products we were offering to the campus community. These exchanges led us to action and change that brought much attention and positive feedback to our efforts. So we began to look at other products that were available and at the right price. With the efforts of environmental Senators, students and faculty who were passionate about sustainability and influencing the campus community through dining services. To make a difference we made a change. We joined these groups, committees and organizations on campus to learn and determine how we could better offer what they were looking for as a consumer. When you participate in our dining experience today you will be directly supporting and participating in the following;

• Organics (All locations)
• For the last two years our produce used in all locations has increased significantly (conventional vs organic 25.7%). You will find it in our salad bars, dishes, sandwiches, soups and packaged goods. In the restaurant you will have options for sodas and bars. In the DC Market Place and Otter Express you will have the availability of snacks and dairy products. Our coffee of choice is only organic(100%).
• Local (All locations)
• Our restaurant helps promote a local bakery by offering only their products. Every location participates in supporting Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company. During the peak-growing season most of our produce is from local farmers. We are establishing a purchasing chain with ALBA organics, which will further strengthen our local support.
• At the beginning of the fall semester we hold a campus farmers market inviting all of our local partners and farmers to share information, upcoming events (i.e. farm tours) and give-a-wayÕs. We also do an exhibition station using only the ingredients that the farmers bring. We talk about our programs on campus and make flyers and handouts available. We do the same thing in the spring semester during Earth week and introduce any new additions to our programs on campus.
• Fair trade (All locations)
• All of our coffee is fair trade certified and the restaurant has begun to serve fair trade sugar as well. We will begin to convert over in the DC Market Place and then the Otter Express.
• Bio-mass packaging (All locations)
• The completion of our third year using spudware utensils (80 % potato starch and 20% soy). You will find a combination of paper, bagasse (Sugar resin pulp) and PLA (Ceraplast corn bi-product) in all locations for our plates, bowls, containers, cups and straws.
• Sustainable seafood (Restaurant)
• We are in our second year with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program ensuring that the only seafood we serve is sustainable.
• Hormone and antibiotic free (Restaurant)
• All of our beef served in the restaurant is premier selections from "Painted Hills". All of our poultry served is hormone and antibiotic free. Our dairy used and sold at all locations is hormone free.
• Vermi-composting (DC)
• In the loading dock of the DC Market Place we have a capstone project by Zoe Carlson on the validity for worm consumption with bio-mass packaging. This April will mark its one year anniversary.
• Green Seal Chemicals (DC)
• In the summer of 2006 we converted the dish machine chemicals in the DC Market Place over to Eco Labs Geo System line which has a green seal rating.
• Dioxin free (All locations)
• Two and half years ago we converted over to all natural paper products for napkins, paper towels, utility napkins and paper bags.
• Reusable energy (DC)
• Two years ago a professor approached me and asked for our used grease. When I asked why and he explained that he converted his diesel vehicle with a vegetable fuel system, I was intrigued and asked how we could help. Today with Facilities on campus we are building a gravity filtration device off the DC Market Place loading dock to be one be used by the campus shuttle. We hope to unveil it during Earth week of 2007.
• Trans fat free (All locations)
• Finishing our second year with non-hydrogenated fryer and cooking oils, it makes good vegetable fuel and is better for the body.
• Recycling (All locations)
• This is the one area that needs more attention and effort. We do recycle but need to start separating our waste streams. The Environmental Senator has already purchased bins that will be the first steps in separation of waste. We are awaiting its arrival.

Looking back at this journey is inspiring when you see the efforts of many and how the power of teamwork made a difference. We were once the student and now have become a leader and guide for other people, organizations and institutions abroad looking to leave a footprint behind. Help us make your tomorrow be what you want today.

Side note:
We have spoken & presented at the 2006 Annual Sustainable Summit, 2007 Eco Farming Conference. We have been invited to present & do a workshop on Biomass packaging for this year 2007 Sustainable Summit @ UC Santa Barbara to co-present with UC Berkley.

Sustainability actions we would like to take in the near future.

• Partner with ALBA Organics to bring local produce from community families.
• More aggressive communications to educate our students in all areas of sustainability. The addition of our paid student sustainability intern should generate some very positive results in this area.
• Take a more active leadership role in recycling bottles and cans. Encourage students to recycle all over campus and make it convenient for them. A more effective pick-up system would need to be developed.
• Create a staff and management development plan focused on sustainability. This would include a sustainability suggestion program where they can help us ingrain this into our local culture.
• Create a student sustainability suggestion box as well.
• Launch a campaign to "print only when needed" to save paper, a valuable, limited resource.

Long-term actions we would like to consider.

• Establish a GREEN ZONE in one of our dining rooms. This would serve as a resource library for sustainability reading materials, live plants, appropriate sustainability communications etc. This could also be reserved for the Sustainability Task Force meetings and other relevant student groups. Hire a campus dining sustainability intern.
• Help with the planning and development of a campus garden that we could use for the growing of herbs and spices.
• Implement a campus-composting program.
• Begin equipment replacement to more energy-efficient models. Have already begun this with replacement equipment or Steamer is an energy efficient model in the DC Market Place.
• Establish a water conservation plan.
• Introduce reusable china in the DC Market Place.
• Eliminate trays in the Dining Room.
• Arrange for campus-wide visibility of sustainability films and sponsor speakers and environmental experts.
• Create a totally local and/or sustainable meal