Waste Reduction Initiative's
Marquis Culinary Centre is Tray-less:
The benefits of removing personal dining trays from Marquis Culinary Centre includes reducing water and energy required for cleaning each of the trays, reducing food waste and reducing the amount of chemicals that are used. On average the removal of trays reduces food waste by 25-30% per person.
Biodegradable Take-Out Containers, Catering Trays and Cutlery:
Culinary Services has replaced their take out as well as catering packaging with molded fiber pulp products. These products are made from a renewable material, known as Bagasse; which is a by-product of sugarcane and are completely environmentally friendly.
Straw-Free:
In 2018 Culinary Services removed single use plastic straws from its in-house operations.
Lug-A-Mug Program:
Coffee cups are the most common item in campus trash cans. Our Lug-a-Mug program helps reduce waste by incentivizing the use of a personal reusable cup. Bring your own coffee mug to any Culinary Services locations and receive a $0.10 discount on your coffee purchase.
Food Donations:
Surplus food is inevitable in any large scale food service production. Culinary Services donates safely handled and suitable food products to social support centres and programs within the community and as well is a FoodRenew Partner.
Composting:
The dehydrator located in Marquis Hall is able to divert up 650 pounds per day of food waste (vegetable core and peelings, meat trim and bones as well as post-consumer waste) from the landfill by creating a nutrient rich semi-composted material great for plant growth. This material is added to enhance compost that is used throughout campus grounds including campus grown produce that makes its way back into our kitchens.
Fryer Oil Recycling:
One hundred percent of Culinary Services fryer oil is recycled.
A Well Trained Team:
Sustainable operations require fighting waste and inefficiency along every step of our food journey. That is why it is important our staff is equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to perform their jobs in an environmentally conscious manner. Culinary Services staff participate in sustainability training which provides information about waste, energy, and water reduction.