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Local Sustainable Initiatives

Your Sodexo Campus Dining Team is dedicated to sustainability.  We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at Fort Lewis College.  In addition to the many initiatives we take on as a company, we have implemented the following programs specific to Fort Lewis College.

Local Farms

We work hard to get as many ingredients locally as possible. Our professionally-trained chefs write our menus to take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally in season in Colorado and the Four Corners Region.

 

Reusable Cup Discount

The environment and your pocketbook win! Bring your own reusable cup to purchase coffee or fountain beverages on campus and save every time in any location. Campus Dining also sells reusable mugs at all locations, your first fill up is FREE.

 

Biodiesel

The used Trans-Fat Free fryer shortening is collected and saved for San Juan Biodiesel to pick up and recycle into fuel for converted vehicles.

 

APEX™ Dishwashing System

As part of its commitment to increase the sustainability of its operations, Dining Services uses Ecolab’s Apex™ dishwashing system. Apex combines technology and products designed to save water and energy, minimize the impact of products on the environment, and has 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 foodservice operations. The Apex management approach uses a tablet PC and wireless technology to communicate with the system’s controller to download, process and analyze data to establish each foodservice operation’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 receive the benefits of using less water, energy and labor, thus minimizing their operations’ overall impact on the environment.
In addition, the Apex system further supports Dining Services’ sustainability initiatives with non-caustic chemistry and 95% less packaging material than current methods. Apex products come in a compact solid form that significantly reduces transportation shipments compared to bulkier liquid detergents.

 

Xpress Nap Holders

XPressnap dispensers are another solution to reducing energy and waste. They save 30% in paper over traditional napkin dispensing mechanisms. The great thing about these dispensers is that they help the environment while helping to keep costs down.  The napkins are made of 100% recycled paper and the dispenser will encourage customers to take (and waste) less napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material.  According to Xpressnap, enough is saved through utilizing recycle napkins to power 600 American homes for an entire year! More than half a million gallons of oil was saved – 38 tanker trucks worth – and 41 tons of pollutants were kept out of the environment. 4,131 cubic yards of paper were diverted from landfill space. This is enough to cover an entire football field with a two and a half foot deep stack of paper.

 

Composting

Both the kitchen and the dining room collect non protein food waste to feed the campus compost tub. All coffee brewing outlets on campus also add their spent coffee grounds to the composter tub. The FLC Environmental Center maintains the tub’s moisture and temperature, stirs the batch and adds wood chips as needed.

 

Recycling

Sodexo Campus Dining at Fort Lewis College recycles all corrugated cardboard boxes and empty #10 cans. There are bins inside and outside the Retail Dining room for consumers to deposit aluminum cans, mixed paper, glass and recyclable plastic.

 

Waste Minimization

We use cello wrap as opposed to plastic clamshells for the majority of our grab and go sandwiches, PLA cornstarch compostable to go salad and sandwich containers and post consumer hot paper cup sleeves.