Inherent in Sodexho’s corporate mission is a focus on sustainability. This can be seen in dining services efforts, including the following :
- Reducing food waste;
- Using recycled or “green”/eco-friendly materials;
- Having organic and natural food products available at Gourmet Grocer and Jazzman’s, and using the products in daily dining menus;
- Buying locally grown produce to the greatest extent possible to reduce environmental and energy utilization impacts; and,
- Implementing kitchen equipment energy conservation initiatives. New variable speed hood exhausts are being installed in kitchens that are much more energy efficient and which reduce depletion of air conditioning. Low volume, high pressure spray heads have also been installed in kitchen areas.
(August 2018 Update) In partnership with Sodexo, UT announced that dining facilities will no longer offer single-use plastic straws and stirrers due to the detrimental environmental impacts of plastic straws. Sodexo is now offering biodegradable clamshell to-go containers that are microwavable and refrigerator safe, as well as soak proof and oil resistant. Hot and cold Styrofoam or plastic cups and lids will be replaced with cups and lids fabricated with 100 percent compostable, disposable material. In addition, over the past three years UT has installed 54 water bottle refill stations on campus. This has eliminated the use of 2.4 million single-use plastic bottles.
(February 2018 Update) Since Spring 2017 and through a partnership with Sodexo, the Student Environmental Action Coalition (S.E.A.C.) distributes unused food to the after school program, Cornerstone Kids, as a chapter of the Food Recovery Network.
(July 2012 Update) “Maximum Icers” are used in various locations to pre-chill incoming water so ice can be made with less energy. These have been installed in the Martinez Athletics Center, the Spartan Club, Vaughn Center kitchen, Frank and Carol Morsani Hall (formerly Stadium Center) kitchen and other areas. Similarly, “vending mizers” are being tested on vending machines to reduce energy usage during periods of limited activity.
Landscaping and athletic field irrigation utilizes well water from shallow campus wells rather than treated city water.
(July 2011 Update) The contractor that removes spent cooking oil from the campus is putting the used oil back into the product stream by filtering and processing the oil for reuse. The used product is clearly of value as payment is received when the oil is removed rather than there being a charge for this removal and transport service.