Your Binghamton University Dining Services Team is dedicated to sustainability. We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at Binghamton University. In addition to the many initiatives we take on as a company, we have implemented the following programs specific to Binghamton University.

From field to fork without ever leaving campus. It doesn't get more local than food grown right here! We are proud to work with the campus community to grow and serve food from our campus garden. The first crop from Binghamton Acres was harvested in October 2013 and all items were served to students at the College-In-the-Woods community dining room during our harvest dinner.

On campus we recycle the following products: cardboard, glass, aluminum, paper, plastic.

Xpressnap^® napkin dispensers save energy and waste. The napkins are made of 100% recycled paper and the dispenser will 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.

Apex combines technology and products designed to save water and energy, minimize the impact of products on the environment, and has a built-in method of measuring results. The Apex management approach uses a tablet PC and wireless technology to communicate with the system’s controller to download, process and analyze data to establish each foodservice operation’s “rack-to-guest ratio.” By monitoring and improving this ratio, the system helps reduce the amount of water and energy used at each facility, and improve total operational efficiency.

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 that is unavoidable which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can also be used to amend soil thereby increasing drought tolerance, improving soil structure and health and reducing need for water and fertilizers.

We provide china in our Resident Dining halls and at our catering events. For the person who wants to take their food to go, OZZI, a revolutionary system that provides reusable take-out containers, is available in each of the four Resident Dining halls. Every student with a meal plan gets their first container for free! To learn more about OZZI, visit www.planetozzi.com

We work closely with local produce distributors to maximize the fruits and vegetables purchased from local farms. We also purchase from local dairies, and participate in farm to school initiatives. When seasonable, we specify our vendors provide local 1st, then regional to supplement. The last study done showed Binghamton University Dining Services at 35% from New York and 57% regional (within 250 miles).

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.

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.

To save paper, we use paper with recycled content and we print on both sides whenever possible.

92% of the chemicals Binghamton University Dining Services uses are “Green Seal” certified, concentrated or sustainable.

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.

To save energy, we only turn our equipment on when it is needed and turn it off as soon as we are done using it for the day.

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. When replacing equipment we choose Energy Star rated appliances.

Where feasible we have replaced our incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs to reduce our energy consumption.

Working with our vendors, our catering staff and our campus facility services staff to make sure all vehicles are turned off while they are parked in our loading dock.

All of our fluid milk is 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.

All it takes are a few simple steps to more sustainable catered events. We feature menus that are locally grown, seasonal, organic, vegetarian and/or well balanced. We use china serviceware whenever possible, but if necessary, we try to use compostable and/or recyclable disposableware. We strive to eliminate bottled beverages when possible by replacing them with pitchers of drinks and reusable glassware. Each season we unveil a catering menu that highlights the season's bounty. Not only does it increase variety, it also features food that is in season.