Our Initiatives
As a guest, it is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine at Bentley University. We know today's college students want to do the right thing for the planet and we also understand you lead busy lives, so your Bentley Dining chefs and managers do a lot of the work for you behind the scenes! We have formalized this commitment by implementing the initiatives outlined on this page focusing on four key priorities: health, planet, community and our people. We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at Bentley. For questions or more information on Bentley Dining's sustainability initiatives, please contact 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 an increase in local purchasing.
Through Mass Impact, we highlight local farms through our Harvest of the Month program, host Markets on campus, and conduct educational events on local sourcing and sustainable dining practices over the course of the academic year. If you want to learn more about Mass Impact and our Sustainability efforts at Bentley University please contact 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 the U.S.’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.
In the Fall of 2021, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Bentley Dining Services with support from Sodexo Operations, LLC formally entered the Food Forward pledged to increase the amount of plant-based menu offerings at our 921 Dining Hall. Our goal is that 28% of our entrée menu will be plant-based by December 31, 2024. We will achieve this through an increment of 5% annually.
Through 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 conducted by the Humane Society of the United States, Sodexo was ranked second among forty different food service providers for the sustainability of our proteins. The survey evaluated us on transparency, goals, and a plan of action. Our plant-based offerings are instrumental in helping us to achieve our Better Tomorrow initiatives and achieving our carbon emission reduction goal.
Swipe Out Hunger
Dining services is proud to partner with Bentley University in the Swipe Out Hunger program. The program is designed to educate Bentley’s campus community about food insecurity and provide support to Bentley students who may be experiencing food insecurity. Students on a meal plan can donate up to 25 swipes per trimester to a Bentley student in need.
This program was designed using best practices provided by Swipe Out Hunger, a national non-profit that supports colleges in developing programs to meet the needs of food insecure students. To find out more about the organization, please visit swipehunger.org.
To learn more, donate swipes or if you are experiencing food insecurity visit Bentley's Swipe Out Hunger Page.
Food for Free
Food for Free is a non-profit organization that is bridging the gap between hunger and waste. Food for Free collects untouched and excess food, repackages it into individual meals and distributes it to those in need. Bentley Dining Services packages prepared, untouched food at the end of each meal period.
Outreach and Education
Green Reusable Container Program
Composting
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.
Local Results: We compost pre-consumer food waste at all of our dining locations. Post-consumer food waste is collected at The 921. We also have sorting stations available at LaCava Café with trash, recycling, and compost bins.