Food
Our food provider, AVI, strives for sustainability, with the goal of “advancing our community’s wellness and environmental sustainability through the contributions of all of our team members.” AVI utilizes sustainable practices at every level of their company. To read more on their efforts across all levels, visit their website: aviloveoftheearth.com.
Keith Tyger, AVI’s director of campus dining, says these steps are being taken within Burwell Dining Hall:
- Produce is intentionally sourced from local and regional farms, rather than cross-country.
- Some of the produce is grown on-site by students at the Chandler Center courtyard garden or at the Goodall Environmental Studies Center at Glendale.
- AVI’s food supplier, Sysco, has an extensive commitment to being a sustainable company.
- Seafood is sourced from farms that take part in Best Aquaculture Practices.
- Energy-efficient equipment – The Burwell Dining renovations updated 90% of the kitchen equipment to be more energy efficient than before.
- Less water is used with the new dishwashers.
- Eco sensitive refrigerants.
- Auto HVAC and cooking hoods.
- Team member training on utility use and kitchen practices to preserve energy and resources.
- Not leaving equipment running when not in use.
- Making sure all equipment is off when closing for the day.
- Washing vegetables in batches, thus using less water.
- Thawing frozen items under refrigeration instead of running water.
- Emphasis on batch-cooking to save energy.
- Reducing preheating time for equipment and only using fans when necessary.
- Recycling and reusing.
- Offering only reusable plates, cups, and utensils.
- Reusable, eco-friendly takeout containers.
- Recycling all boxes to divert from the waste stream.
- Collecting grease to be recycled and turned into various biofuels and animal feed.
- Composting food waste and packaging.
- New grab-and-go packaging utilizes cardboard and easily compostable cellophane.