Dining Services Sustainability

At UNT Dining Services we understand that sustainability is a delicate balance between improving lifestyle choices and a feeling of well-being, and preserving natural resources on which we and future generations depend. To accomplish this goal Dining Services actively engages procedures, policies, and practices that foster a sustainable food system at the University of North Texas.

American author Bruce Barton, said “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.”

“Little things” that Dining Services is doing to promote sustainability:

  • Great tasting made-from-scratch food is served in all of our dining halls. By serving food that taste great guests eat more and waste less. Making food from scratch not only improves the quality and taste of the food but it reduces much of the waste associated with using canned and packaged convenience ingredients. The result has been a decrease in year-over-year purchasing by 11% allowing us to improve the quality of each meal and decrease waste at the same time.

  • Sustainability partnerships and education makes us more effective in our sustainability efforts. This year Dining Services was selected as the sustainability department of the year. By partnering with sustainability groups on campus we create new ways to save resources by educating our guests on ways they can help reduce, reuse and recycle.

  • Purchasing from local sources is our preferred method for everything we use in our dining halls. By purchasing local we save money and reduce our carbon footprint. When we can’t find something from a local vendor we look for items made in Texas or the south west region.

  • A Prime vendor is used for most of the purchasing on campus. By using a prime vendor we decrease the number of deliveries made to our dining facilities. This cuts down on pollution and saves fuel which reduces our carbon footprint.

  • Reusable Cutlery Glassware & China is provided in all of our resident dining halls, Avesta restaurant and Verde catering. This effort decreases the amount of single use disposable waste going into the local landfills. 

  • “Green” Chemical Line: Dining Services uses a ‘green’ chemical program that is safe, sustainable and earth friendly. The chemicals we use are concentrated solid formulations that utilize innovative packaging and dispensing methods which; use less water and energy, reduces harsh chemicals and waste that is released into the environment and reduces transportation costs associated with bulky chemicals.

  • Recycling: UNT dining services recycles all cardboard and waste paper in all retail and resident dining locations. In addition we have recycle bins located near all of our dining facilities that encourage guests to recycle; glass, plastic and aluminum containers.

  • Water Conservation: To preserve water usage all dishwashing machine outlets have a special nozzle that regulates water usage with monthly monitoring of our dishwashing cycles to maximize the efficiency of our dishwashing activity and decrease water usage. Additionally, the ice machines used in the Dining Halls are air-cooled instead of water-cooled. Most water-cooled ice machines use a once-through cooling system, where the water used to cool the machine is subsequently dumped down the drain. The switch to air-cooled machines saves about 12 million gallons of water every year.

  • Compostable Packaging and Cutlery: In 2009 UNT dining services partnered with Innoware packaging and replaced the “to-go” cutlery and packaging with a compostable substitute. The Eco- Expressions container meets the ASTM standards for compost ability as certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute. That means it biodegrades in a commercial compost facility completely within 60-180 days, without releasing any toxic residues. The containers are made from an annual renewable resource that is not tied to corn for main feedstock, it reduces environmental impact and the production process, uses fewer fossil fuels and emits less carbon dioxide.

  • Trayless Dining Halls and Retail locations: Dining Services has eliminated the use of trays in 3 of our dining halls and all of our retail locations. By removing trays, we decrease food waste, conserve water and energy and reduce the use of cleaning chemicals. Removing trays reduces food waste by 25-30% per person and conserves almost 1900 liters of water annually (Business and Cultural Acceptance Case for Trayless Dining, 2008).

  • Recycled Napkins: All of our retail and resident Dining Halls use recycled paper napkins made from chemical free post consumer recycled paper.