Sustainability

NC State Dining is proud to be a contributing partner in the effort to achieve the university’s overall sustainability goal to conserve energy, use resources wisely and reduce our carbon footprint. Check out a few of the ways we work to make going green part of being red.

We began a composting initiative at our dining halls in August 2010 and at One Earth in Talley Student Union in 2014. The initiative became a reality when an audit by Waste Reduction and Recycling found that 70% of waste generated by Fountain Dining Hall was compostable. In 2018, Talley Student Union collected 100.57 tons of compost to send to the onsite compost facility that helps complete the loop of the food eaten on campus. The composting initiative has helped NC State decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills. COMPOSTING INITIATIVE

We work with GreaseCycle to collect and recycle oil waste from our dining locations (9742.5 gallons in 2019). The organic waste is converted into biodiesel fuel and composting soil. Not only is the oil being put to good use, but it is collected at no cost to us, saving thousands of dollars each year. RECYCLED COOKING OIL

Pack&Go features a reusable and recyclable take out container that can be used in our dining halls in exchange for a meal credit. Since March 2009, this program has diverted more than 208,500 styrofoam to-go containers from the landfill. DINING HALL TAKE OUT

This on-campus farm provides hands-on education regarding sustainable agriculture to students, staff, faculty and the community. One of the Agroecology Farm’s main goals is to produce fresh and healthy food items to be served at on-campus dining locations, extending sustainable agriculture education back to campus. AGROECOLOGY EDUCATION FARM

Through our partnership with the farm, NC State Dining has provided funding for a new post-harvest facility, as well as a hoop house, which extends the growing season and provides nearly year-round vegetable production. In 2019, the six-acre site produced 15,373 pounds of crops for the dining program. For more information and to see what’s growing on the farm, visit agroecologyfarm.ncsu.edu.

We have created several partnerships with student organizations and professors across campus, including the NC State Sustainability Stewards and Zero Waste Wolves, to align our sustainability goals and help us achieve them. ON-CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS

Through a partnership with the Office of Sustainability, NC State Dining began reducing plastic waste by eliminating single-use plastic bags at the Atrium Food Court and C-Stores on campus. Reusable bags are now available for purchase at these locations, diverting more than 294,000 plastic bags from the landfill each year.

This program connects NC State Dining with North Carolina growers, manufacturers, processors and producers to increase our ability to purchase locally and highlight the wealth of products grown and produced in our state. It also gives us an opportunity to share stories of NC State alumni working for these companies and how their work positively supports our efforts to provide the best food possible for our students, faculty and staff. MY ROOTS ARE AT NC STATE