Earth Week 2008
April 21st-25th

All week:
Trayless Dining Halls
Dim the Lights

Weigh the Waste- Monday
Taster's Table - Tuesday
Know Your Ecological Footprint - Wednesday
Earth Week Lunch - Friday

Our Current Efforts

Waste reduction has also been a focus for Dining Services and we continue to seek out opportunities to further reduce waste in our facilities.

Policies and practices in our kitchens and dining facilities to reduce waste include:

1. Maintain small inventories.
2. Prepare appropriate amounts of food.
3. High quality unused portions are implemented into our regular menus.
4. Stored products are rotated regularly.
5. Use of production records promotes keeping unused portions to a minimum.
6. At the end of the semesters, perishable food is donated to the local Delaware Food Bank.
7. Bulk containers of condiments are used in our food courts and snack bars.
8. Shippers use pallets which are picked up and reused.
9. Styrofoam packaging use is limited.
10. Use of garbage disposals reduce waste going to landfills.
11. Filtered water systems were installed in our dining halls to provide patrons with filtered fresh water from our local water service and reduce the use of bottled water.

Recycling efforts by Dining Services include:

1. Participation in University of Delaware’s recycle program for office and mixed papers, glass, cardboard, aluminum cans and plastic containers has been ongoing.  Recycle bins for plastic and glass are available in our food courts.
2. Spearheaded RecycleMania at UD in Spring 07.
3. Kitchen oil is filtered for reuse.
4. Grease is recycled and refined for other uses.
5. Used toner cartridges.
6. Unused office and food service equipment is salvaged or recycled to other users.
7. Use of 100% recycled napkins.
8. Provide recycling mugs/ bottles for purchase at campus retail locations.
9. Initiated Earth Day campaign in UD Dining Locations.

In our efforts to increase our impact as a member of the University and local community implementing sustainable methods, Dining Services will continue to seek out more opportunities to eliminate waste and provide products from local and organic vendors.