Sustainability

Our Initiatives

As a guest at Bentley University, I find making environmentally conscious choices straightforward. We understand today's college students are eager to support the planet and lead busy lives. That's why our Bentley Dining chefs and managers work diligently behind the scenes to make sustainability easier for you. Our commitment is formalized through initiatives focused on four key priorities: health, the planet, community, and our people. Together, we can make a positive impact at Bentley. For more information about Bentley Dining's sustainability efforts, please get in touch with Darren Fabian.

Mass Impact

Mass Impact is our commitment to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, our customers, and the communities in which we work and live to support the Massachusetts and New England economies through increased local purchasing.

Through Mass Impact, we showcase local farms with our Harvest of the Month program and host educational events on local sourcing and sustainable dining practices throughout the academic year. For more information about Mass Impact and our sustainability efforts at Bentley University, please get in touch with Rose Forest, Sustainability Coordinator, at Rose.Forest@sodexo.com.

Humane Society of the U.S. Partnership and Increasing Our Plant-Based Offerings

In partnership with the Humane Society of the U.S., our chefs have been specially trained in plant-based culinary cuisine. This hands-on training is part of the Humane Society of U.S.'sS.’s Food Forward program and sheds light on how to create delicious, plant-based meals that also are cost-effective and sustainable. The training also covered the health and nutrition aspects of food and recipe development. The Humane Society of the U.S. and Sodexo have collaborated to create over 350 plant-based recipes.

With support from Sodexo Operations, LLC, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and Bentley Dining Services have formally joined the Food Forward initiative, committing to increase plant-based menu offerings at our 921 Dining Hall. We aim to have 28% of our entrée menu plant-based by December 31, 2024, with a gradual increase of 5% each year. Starting the Fall 2024 semester, we're proud to have 20% plant-based menus, putting us on track to meet our ambitious target. For more details on our sustainability efforts and plant-based initiatives, please get in touch with Rose Forest, Sustainability CoordinatorThrough the Food Forward Program, The Humane Society of the U.S. works with institutions and food service management companies throughout the United States to change menus at colleges & universities, K-12 school districts & childcare programs, and hospital & healthcare systems nationwide. Overall, the program has enacted meat reduction policies at over 600 institutions to date.

In a recent survey by the Humane Society of the United States, Sodexo was ranked second out of forty food service providers for the sustainability of our proteins. The survey assessed us on transparency, goals, and actionable plans. Our plant-based offerings are crucial in advancing our Better Tomorrow initiatives and meeting our carbon emission reduction targets.

Recovering Leftover Cuisine

Recovering Leftover Cuisine is a non-profit organization bridging the gap between hunger and waste. They collect untouched and excess food, repackaging it into individual meals for distribution to those in need. At Bentley Dining Services, we contribute to this effort by packaging prepared, untouched food at the end of each week.

Outreach and Education

Our impact on the environment includes promoting plant-based meals, preventing waste, managing energy efficiently, and sourcing responsibly. Plant-based eating is gaining in popularity as millions of Americans are increasingly embracing it for better health and environmental and animal welfare reasons. Food service professionals are seeking ways to meet the demand for more plant-based menu items, and Forward Food is the only initiative in the country that provides such training to institutions.

Green Reusable Container Program

Our green reusable containers reduce the amount of single-use items going into our waste stream and provide students with a convenient to-go option. At The 921 or LaCava Café, students can purchase a green reusable container for a one-time fee of $5.00. At The 921, they can take their food to-go with a meal swipe! At LaCava Café, you can purchase your food any other time and hand your green container to a station attendant. Once you have enjoyed your meal elsewhere, empty, rinse, and return your container to The 921 or LaCava Café. You can exchange your container for a clean one or receive a token that can be used later. Taking a meal to-go is one swipe at The 921. If you wish to dine in during the same visit, use another swipe.

Composting

Food waste in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than CO2 (http://www.epa.gov). Our first priority is to reduce food waste. We compost unavoidable food waste, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can also be used to amend the soil, thereby increasing drought tolerance, improving soil structure and health, and reducing the need for water and fertilizers.

Local Results: We compost pre-consumer food waste at all our dining locations, and post-consumer food waste is collected at The 921. We also have sorting stations at LaCava Café with trash, recycling, and compost bins.

APEX™ Dishwashing System

As part of its commitment to increase the sustainability of its operations, Bentley University Dining Services uEcolab'sab's Apex™ dishwashing system. Apex combines technology and products designed to save water and energy, minimize the impact of products on the environment, and have a built-in method of measuring results. Apex uses a unique combination of detergents, rinse additives, equipment, and consultative services to address the operational challenges in food-service operations. The Apex management uses a tablet PC and wireless technology to communicate with the system's controller to download, process, and analyze data to establish each food-servoperation "'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.

All locations will benefit from less water, energy, and labor, thus minimizing the operations' overall environmental impact. In addition, the Apex system further supports DinServices'ces' sustainability initiatives with non-caustic chemistry and 95% less packaging material than current methods. Apex products come in a compact solid form, significantly reducing transportation shipments compared to bulkier liquid detergents.

Other Materials Management Initiatives

• Our napkins are made from 100% recycled content paper (90% post-consumer).

• Paper towels are made from 100% recycled content.

• Bulk condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and BBQ sauce in our residential dining operations eliminate single-use packaging waste.

• Our dairy products are delivered in reusable crates.