August 22, 2008
Where did the trays go?
That may be the question of the semester as students and staff visit the dining centers on campus. Colorado State University's commitment to being The Green University means that we all need to do our part.
We all need to do our part
Housing & Dining Services has implemented a number of initiatives in our dining centers to reduce our impact on the environment including utilizing green power for all dining centers, eliminating Styrofoam take-out containers, providing students with reusable water bottles instead of disposable cups, building energy efficient buildings and using efficient operating practices.
The new Ram's Horn dining center at the Academic Village has two pulpers that divert food waste from the landfill and allows the commercially composted material to be turned into a resource. It is estimated that the pulpers will reduce landfill waste in the new dining facility by seventy percent.
Conserve water, energy, reduce waste
Another important sustainability initiative, successfully piloted during the summer conference season, is discontinuing the use of trays in the dining centers. Over 7,500 meals are served every day in our dining centers. By not washing and sanitizing over 50,000 trays per week we hope to conserve 195,000 gallons of water every month in addition to a reduction in dish-washing chemicals and energy usage. Dozens of universities across the country have taken this initiative and have reported a dramatic reduction in plate waste as well as water and energy usage.
Commitment to help the environment
We're making a commitment to help the environment and hope you'll join us by dining green. To learn more about sustainability initiatives within Housing & Dining Services visit http://www.housing.colostate.edu/green or http://www.green.colostate.edu.
Contact: Crystal Elmore
Email: Crystal.Elmore@colostate.edu
Phone Number: (970) 491-4770
