What Aramark is doing at other schools; why aren't these things being done everywhere; why is it not being done here?

***Student initiative IS NEEDED to make these sustainable activities reach Wake Forest***

Local Produce

University of Pennsylvania and ARAMARK worked together to bring a popular local Farmer’s Market to campus. Students can use Dining Dollars from their meal plan to purchase locally grown or prepared products, such as produce, cider, home-style baked goods, jams, preserves and pickled vegetables.

Biodegradable Packaging/Food Options

To-go food is packed in biodegradable containers. Residential dining hall tables are made out of bamboo and the campus sells organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee. Hayden also features eco-friendly practices, such as biodegradable take-out containers and utensils made from potatoes instead of plastic.

Different Food used- no preservatives etc.

New York University‘s newly remodeled Hayden Dining Hall emphasizes sustainable dining and healthy eating by offering freshly baked breads and handmade cheeses produced without accelerators; deli meats produced with no cereal fillers; and meats raised without hormones or antibiotics. A new circular food bar features a wide variety of Vegan foods grown within a 200-mile radius of the University.

Organic Composting

At Brandeis University, the campus community wanted to reduce its ecological footprint and showed significant interest in composting, a process that allows food waste, table scraps and yard waste to decompose naturally. Compost is used in gardening and agriculture, and when mixed with topsoil, improves soil structure, increases the amount of organic matter, and provides nutrients. ARAMARK began composting all materials from the dining halls which totals about 405 tons of waste per year.

Recycling

ARAMARK encourages clients to participate in Recyclemania, a competition challenging colleges and universities to collect recyclables over 10 weeks to raise awareness of environmental and conservation issues.


All of these initiatives were a result of student initiative. They all started with an idea. Sustainability week will also promote awareness of what we could be doing.