Sustainability

Our Initiatives

Hobart and William Smith Dining has several program initiatives that support sustainability

Recycling

We recycle and partner with the FingerLakes Institute on campus to reduce and reuse material. On Campus we recycle the following products: cardboard, glass, steel, aluminum, paper, plastic and e-waste.

Composting

Food waste in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas which is 21x more potent than CO2. (www.epa.gov) Our first priority is to reduce food waste. We compost food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also be enhance and amend soil health by improving soil structure, enhancing micro-organism content, increasing drought tolerance and reducing need for water and fertilizers. We collect pre and post-consumer food waste to create compost to be used across campus. Look for ways to get involved in these initiatives.

Trayless Dining

Trayless dining is one significant initiative that helps to minimize waste as well as water and energy usage while creating a more sustainable food service operation. Thank you for working with us to reduce our carbon footprint! Every time you use plates without a tray, you are saving a quart of water, one ounce of food waste, plus the detergent and energy needed for washing the trays.

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.

Vegan Options

We were rated A by peta2 for the quality of service at our Basil Vegan station, offering daily menu variety throughout the academic year.

Cage-Free Eggs

In a move lauded by the Humane Society of the United States, HWS Dining has transitioned all of our liquid and hard cooked/boiled eggs from cage-free hens.

Stop Hunger Food Drive

Did you know more than 1 in 9 people suffer from hunger? Each year we partner with the Geneva Center of Concern and conduct a fundraiser event for local families. During the event, we collect monetary donations, which are used to purchase turkeys for families during the holiday season. Last year we were able to provide the Geneva Center of Concern with just under 50 turkeys by raising $400 during our Stop Hunger fundraiser and 12 Sodexo employee donated turkeys.

Bulk Condiments

Individual packets of condiments are useful in some instances, but they result in extra waste. If you are dining on site or you can add the sauce to your item before you leave, please use the bulk dispensers to reduce our waste.

Recycling Fryer Oil into Biofuel

French fries to fuel. Indeed, our fryer oil is recycled into biodiesel that is used to power a variety of vehicles - from delivery fleets to farm equipment.

Daylighting

The windows in our dining room allow us to enjoy a tremendous amount of natural light while dining. Natural light not only provides a more comfortable environment; it also reduces our energy usage by allowing us to turn off lights.

Local Dairy

All of our fluid milk, ice cream, and dairy creamers are purchased from local dairies that do not use rBST. Additionally, we have partnered with Byrne Dairy, who is based in Central New York and works with more than 250 local family farms.

Aspretto

Going forward by giving back. We are proud to feature 100% Transfair, Fair Trade USA certified Aspretto coffee and 100% USDA certified organic and ethically sourced Numi teas. Everything that touches the product is green, from the 10% post-consumer fiber cups to the renewable resource stirrers to the fair trade sugar wrapped in recyclable paper and printed with vegetable dye.