Dining

Academic Year 2011-2012

Environmental Alliance Real Food Campaign

Academic Year 2010-2011

Duke University Greening Initiative (DUGI)

The DUGI Green Dining Committee will be focusing on improving the dining practices at Duke's Blue Express campus eatery located adjacent to the Levine Science Research Center B wing. Due to its convenient proximity to the Nicholas School of the Environment, many of our graduate student eat at Blue Express on a regular basis. However, the committee feels that the current practices do not align with the beliefs shared by most Nicholas School students. Our goal is to encourage the eatery to switch from disposable Styrofoam plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups to reusable or biodegradable products. Current limitations to this plan include a lack of kitchen space, but we hope to reach an agreement with the manager of Blue Express regarding the logistics of making these greener dining options available. Ultimately it is our goal that Blue Express management and this Committee can develop solutions that provide our peers with a greener dining facility.

Duke Campus Farm
In Spring 2010 the idea for a campus farm was born out of a research project for ENV 171: Food and Energy. Students spent the spring and summer researching the feasibility of the project and as of Fall 2010, students are moving forward with plans to make this idea become a reality. The farm will be located on a 10-acre plot of land in the Duke Forest, and has support from the food service providers at Duke, a wide range of faculty, the administration and students. The purpose of the farm is two-fold: 1. to supply fresh, fair and organic food to Duke students in the dining halls, through the food vendor Bon Appetit, 2. to serve as an educational facility for students interested in food studies and policy. January 2011 will mark the beginning of a one-year, one-acre pilot project to serve as a proof of concept. In Fall 2010, the soil will undergo a fertility treatment process to prepare for the first crop to be planted in the coming spring. For more information about the farm, and to see how you can become involved, please check out the website: http://sites.google.com/site/dukecampusfarm

SSL Green Dining Group:

This year, SSL will continue with its efforts to increase reusable clamshell use on campus by expanding to the Refectory and doing outreach in the Great Hall.  We hope to have 500 students using clamshells by the end of the year.  We will also continue with the Green Dining Award, and will be following up with eateries to help them decide which sustainability measures would be feasible to implement for them.  By meeting with each eatery and explaining how they can improve, we aim to improve the environmental footprint of food on campus.  

Academic Year 2009-2010

Duke Dining Reusable Food Containers Program

Starting in January 2010, Duke officially joined a nation-wide program to promote sustainability in eateries by reducing unnecessary waste and making reusable clamshell containers available at the Great Hall on West Campus. The clamshells are provided by G.E.T. Enterprises, Inc. from their eco-takeout collection. See an example of the clamshells here

The program requires students, staff, and faculty to pay a one-time fee of $5 (food/flex/cash/credit) to a cashier outside the Great Hall that covers the cost of the containers and guarantees them participation in the program throughout their time at Duke. They will be given a keychain that they may exchange for one of the reusable containers inside the Great Hall at any food station or they may exchange a used container for a clean one at the Great Hall. Containers should be rinsed and returned in the designated bin besides the registers. In an effort to promote the program Duke Dining Services gave out the first 200 containers free of charge.     

The Duke Real Food Challenge

Starting this semester, the Duke Environmental Alliance is partnering with The Real Food Challenge (http://realfoodchallenge.org/) to incorporate more organic and sustainable foods into the menu at Duke campus food vendors. Our goal is to have at least 20% of all Duke foods meeting RFC criteria (local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound, and humane). Currently, our efforts are aimed at Bon Appétit, the operator of the Great Hall and the Marketplace, but we hope to work with other Duke restaurants as well. Other goals are to increase the visibility of local farms on Duke's campus and help to implement their foods into what Duke students eat. We are open to working with other Duke organizations to develop ideas for the future. Want to get involved? Email the Real Food Coordinator, Milap Mehta, at milap.mehta@duke.edu, or Ben Soltoff at ben.soltoff@duke.edu.

Green Eatery Audit

SSL audited Duke campus eateries to assess their sustainability and award the eateries that are making significant efforts.  We hope this award will raise awareness of environmental issues among our peers and connect the issue of dining and the environment.  The award is meant to recognize eateries for what they are currently doing well and acknowledge areas that could be improved.  Our metrics include evaluation in food purchasing, operations, waste and recycling, and education.

Gold Awards: The Refectory at the Law School, The Refectory at the Divinity School

Silver Awards: Joe Van Gogh, Tommy's

Bronze Awards: The Marketplace, The Great Hall

These awards were given at the PACE banquet and can be found at each location on display.