At Pacific University Dining, we have a deep respect for, and commitment to, protecting and improving the environment. We work to reduce our environmental footprint while providing students, staff and faculty with a variety of food and beverage options.
Throughout our dining locations, our environmental stewardship efforts continue to evolve and expand, particularly in the areas of sustainable food, waste reduction and recycling, responsible procurement, energy and water conservation and transportation. We call these programs and policies Green Thread as they weave throughout our business operations every day!
Organic Composting
Pacific University Dining Services began composting kitchen and dining room waste in 2007. To date, Pacific Dining Services (PDS) has diverted 28.6 tons of food waste from the landfill. Currently The Boxer Bistro, RFoC and 8th Ave Café all participate in this earth-friendly endeavor. We also compost all of our used coffee grounds. Beginning Summer 2008, a local pig farmer is collecting our food waste to use as feed for his pigs.
By diverting food waste from the landfill, we are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Northwest (when food waste decomposes in the landfill, it generates methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming).
Compostable To Go Ware
PDS has converted 100% of our “to go” ware to compostable products in the University Center dining area. All cold and hot cups, straws, plates, to go containers and silverware are made from renewable resources such as sugar cane, potato starch and Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) – a polymer derived entirely from corn resin.
Since we are not currently able to compost these products at the end of their life, you can help reduce our environmental impact by choosing to use re-usable service ware whenever you can.
Fair Trade Products
PDS serves fair trade coffees, espresso drinks and teas at the Boxer Bistro on campus. Products include a combination of national and local brands to offer variety for campus customers. Fair trade coffee means that the coffee growers are receiving a better price for their coffee as compared to most commodity coffee, thereby helping the often-poor farmers improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Portland Roasting
Portland Roasting is a local, values-driven coffee roaster who focuses on giving back to the farming community while actively seeking out ways to do better -- on all fronts. Their mission is to search out not only great coffee but beans that are grown by farmers who are committed to stewardship of the land. The foundation of this sourcing is their Farm Friendly DirectTM program, which involves paying growers a premium for their coffee, with 100% of that program premium going to farm and community projects.
Tully’s Coffee
Founded in 1992, Tully’s Coffee Corporation is a handcrafted coffee roaster, located in Seattle, WA. All of the Tully’s coffee we offer is fair trade certified. Tully’s was also the first major coffee retailer to adopt a fully renewable and compostable, paper cup for it’s hot beverages. This program features the innovative ecotainer™ hot cup.
Starbucks
Pacific Dining Services operates a “We Proudly Brew” location on the main Forest Grove campus. In 2007, PDS purchased 1,800 pounds of Starbucks fair trade coffee.
Supporting Sustainable Agriculture
In support of sustainable agriculture, PDS has developed an on-going relationship with the Food Alliance, a non-profit organization that certifies farms and ranches and food handlers (including packers, processors and distributors) for sustainable agricultural and business practices. We purchase Food Alliance certified products whenever we can.
We also emphasize purchasing locally grown and seasonal produce. In 2007, Pacific Dining Services purchased 82,950 pounds of produce from local farms, a 76% increase over the previous year.
The same year, Pacific University customers also consumed 12,545 gallons of milk from Sunshine Diary, a local dairy that sources its milk from local family farms in the Willamette and Yakima Valleys. Sunshine Dairy’s farmers have always pledged not to inject their cows with the artificial growth hormone, rBST (recombinant Bovine Somatotropin), also known as rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone). These farmers also pledge to follow farm plans for humane animal treatment and environmental improvement.
We also purchase most of our bread from Portland French Bakery, a local company that bakes its bread in Portland.
Listed below are several of Pacific Dining Services'local agriculture partners:
Gales Meadow Farm - Gales Creek, Or
Borton and Sons Farm- Yakima, Wa
Suri and Son Farms- Clackamas, Or
Curry and Company- Brooks, Or
Rasmussen and Sons- Union Gap, Wa
Northwest Organic Farms- Ridgeland, Wa
Country Natural Beef
About 85% of our beef is sourced from Country Natural Beef, a rancher-owned cooperative based in eastern Oregon, committed to providing sustainable, humanely-raised beef. Their herds spend most of their lives living on the range, eating grass, and they are never fed antibiotics, hormones or steroids. They also eat a 100% vegetarian diet. Country Natural Beef is also Food Alliance certified.
Local, cage-free eggs
We purchase our eggs from local farmers who raise hens without the use of cages. In 2007, we purchased 3,780 pounds of cage-free, local eggs.
Recycling
At Pacific Dining Services, we recycle everything we can, including waste paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles in office and dining locations.
As a department, we work to source and implement ways to limit and properly dispose of all waste in our dining locations.
Tray-Less Dining
PDS piloted tray-less dining on Earth Day, 2008. This was such a success that we implemented 100% tray-less dining in the University Center on a permanent basis with the opening of the Fall 2008 semester.
Going tray-less conserves water and energy used to wash trays and reduces the amount of chemical rinse aids needed. Additionally, tray-less dining promotes healthier eating by reducing over consumption and food waste.
Reducing Plastic Waste
In summer, 2008, we installed a filtered water station at the Boxer Bistro to help students and faculty reduce their ecological footprint. Customers can buy bis-phenol(a)-free, re-usable water bottles at the Bistro, and fill them at the filtered water station at no charge.
Re-usable Mug Discount
You can save green 2 ways – both for the environment and your pocketbook. To help you conserve resources, we offer a 10 cent discount every time you buy coffee or tea in your own re-usable mug.
Using Public Transit
We offer a transit benefit to our employees to help make it easier to choose public transit. Fully one quarter of our employees ride public transit to work, which helps reduce our carbon footprint a little more.
We also use an electric, energy-efficient golf cart on campus for making catering deliveries.