Policy
BYU Dining Services is committed to sustainability for future generations. We fulfill this commitment by considering the environmental impact on our operational decisions now and in the future.
This commitment extends to the following sustainability strategies:
- We follow environmentally friendly practices that both support local sustainability and demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship.
- We manage solid and liquid waste to comply with federal, state, and local regulations. This includes investing in systems and equipment that limit food waste from entering the landfill or wastewater stream.
- We advocate for waste recovery on campus and partner with students, employees, vendors, and guests to find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The managing director designates a member of the Dining Executive Team to oversee sustainability in Dining Services. This sustainability coordinator champions sustainability initiatives throughout Dining and trains employees on sustainability best practices.
Brent Craig has assigned Job Rodriguez (Director, Support Services) to be Dining Services’ sustainability coordinator, effective 7/25/2024.
Procedures
1. Wastewater Testing
The quality assurance manager is responsible to ensure that the Culinary Support Center (and other Dining Services areas as appropriate) document standard operating procedures for the regular testing of water for culinary activities, utilizing an independent laboratory for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and other discharges.
2. Spoilage & Loss
Department managers are responsible to track spoilage and waste, and to review those reports regularly with their management teams and upline director. This includes monitoring food orders, food rotation, and production. Management teams may discount retail products nearing best-by dates when needed to increase product movement to avoid spoilage. The quality assurance manager is responsible for monitoring spoilage and loss and providing training to department managers when needed. The general tolerance percentage for spoilage is 0.75%.
3. Environmental Stewardship
The sustainability coordinator oversees collaboration with outside groups on environmental stewardship initiatives. This includes (but is not limited to) the following initiatives:
- Working with BYU Recycling to maximize the potential for spoiled items to be used in compost for university grounds.
- Working with local organizations (e.g., Food and Care Coalition) to find an outlet for expiring foods when reasonably possible.
4. Dining Sustainability Committee
The sustainability coordinator organizes and chairs the Dining Sustainability Committee. This group meets regularly (at least quarterly) to collaborate on sustainability initiatives.
5. Dining Sustainability Website
The sustainability coordinator is responsible for ensuring the Dining Sustainability web page (https://dining.byu.edu/other/sustainability) is kept up to date.
Additional Information
Revision History
- 8/1/2024 - New policy approved by Dining Executive Team.