Sustainability and Business Practices

Goals

Bryn Mawr College Dining Services is committed to providing the most environmentally friendly dining program possible and one that supports the Bryn Mawr College Community.

Reusable Take-Out Reduce waste, reuse containers! Erdman and New Dorm Dining Halls now offer reusable take-out options. Grab a container, rinse it, and return it.

Food Composting Erdman & New Dorm Dining Hall, UnCommon Grounds and Wyndham Alumni House now compost all appropriate food waste.                                                                                                                                                                    
Recycling We recycle in all of our dining halls and cafes, and provide recycling at all of our outdoor special events. Our napkins and paper used in our offices are made from recycled paper, to reduce paper waste.  All print cartridges used in our operations and offices are recycled.                                                                                                                                      
Ceramic Service All BMCDS operations offer ceramic plates, cups, glasses & metal utensils for in-house service to minimize disposable waste.                                                                                                         

Chemicals All BMCDS operations use Ecolab cleaning chemicals in concentrates, used with auto-diluting systems and reusable spray bottles, reducing shipping & disposal needs.                                                                                                     
Direct Trade Coffees  We’re committed to serving coffee that supports farmers. All our dining halls and cafes offer direct trade coffee, ensuring growers receive fair prices through direct partnerships with our suppliers.

Enjoy Chesapeake Coffee at UnCommon Grounds Cafe and The Lusty Cup, or savor Sun Coffee in Erdman and New Dorm Dining Halls.                                                         
Student Organizations Dining Services partners and works with BMC Greens and the Sustainable Foods Committee to continue to develop sustainable practices in our operations. Examples of projects include moving to bio-degradable take out ware, food waste reduction campaign, napkin use reduction project, and recycling.   

Sustainability Leadership Group Sustainability Leadership Group is working closely with campus community members to explore new ways to reduce our environmental impact and strengthen our ties with the Bryn Mawr community.

Waste Oil Pickup The waste oil from our dining halls is picked up to find its second life as bio-diesel.      
                                    
Trayless Dining at New Dorm Dining Hall & Erdman Dining Hall. Trayless dining helps cut food waste, conserve water and reduces energy consumption.                                                                                                                                                                    
Sustainable Seafood  We take responsibility for sourcing sustainable seafood. We use seafoodwatch.org to identify the most environmentally friendly options and offer them based on availability. 
                                      
Local Foods We prioritize local food sourcing, incorporating fresh, regional ingredients into our daily menus whenever possible. To celebrate our commitment to the community, we host 100-mile dinners featuring local produce each semester.

rootED Our plant-forward station located in New Dorm Dining Hall utilizes sustainable principles adopted from elements of  “Menus of Change”.                                                

Local Produce

Bryn Mawr College Dining Services offers seasonal local fruits, we are always working to increase the proportion of local foods available in the Dining Halls.

Our plant-forward station located in New Dorm Dining Hall utilizes the following principles:

• Plates centered around minimally processed foods…plant protein takes the lead!
• Fresh. Seasonal. Local.  No added sweeteners and reduced sodium.
• Transparent ingredient sourcing that is supportive of sustainable farming and fisheries.
• Emphasis on healthy dietary patterns, including whole food, avoiding excess servings and focusing on calorie quality.
• Encourage innovation and sustainability through food purchasing patterns and practices to advance community health, social well-being and our food system.
• Reduce the role of animal-based foods; by sourcing the healthiest affordable ingredients from antibiotic-free raised animals. If animal-based foods are served; prioritize fish, then dairy, then eggs.
• Unapologetic elevation of flavour and quality

Take-out Policy 

Bryn Mawr College Dining Services is providing reusable OZZI containers every day!

Composting services for all Dining Locations are provided by Organic Diversions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recycling

We recycle in all of our dining halls and cafes, and provide recycling at all of our outdoor special events. Our napkins and paper used in our offices are made from recycled paper, to reduce paper waste. All print cartridges used in our operations and offices are recycled.

Ceramic Service

All Bryn Mawr College Dining Services operations offer ceramic plates and cups, glasses, and metal utensils for in-house service to minimize disposable waste.

Cleaning Chemicals

All Bryn Mawr College Dining Services operations use Ecolab cleaning chemicals in concentrates, used with auto-diluting systems and reuseable spray bottles, reducing shipping and disposal needs.

Direct Trade Coffees

All dining halls and cafes feature directly traded coffees, which means that the coffee growers received a fair price for their coffee and negotiate directly with our suppliers. We proudly serve Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company coffee in UnCommon Grounds Cafe and The Lusty Cup. 
We are equally proud to serve Sun Coffee in Erdman and New Dorm Dining Halls.

Living Wage

Full-time staff at Dining Services are paid above the living wage for the Philadelphia area.

Student Organizations

Dining Services partners and works with Bryn Mawr College Greens and The Sustainable Foods Committee to continue to develop sustainable practices in our operations. Examples of projects include moving to bio-degradable take out containers, food waste reduction campaign, napkin use reduction project, and recycling.

Sustainability Leadership Group

We partner with this campus community group to identify further opportunities for sustainable practices within our interaction with the Bryn Mawr community and local area.

Philabundance

BMCDS works with Philabundance, the regions largest food bank, to provide food that might otherwise go to waste to those who need it most.

Waste Oil Pickup

The waste oil from our dining halls is picked up to find its second life as bio-diesel.

Trayless Dining

Trayless dining at New Dorm Dining Hall and Erdman Dining Hall helps cut food waste, conserve water, and reduce energy consumption.

Local Foods                                         

We purchase local foods for everyday operations whenever available. We also host locally sourced dinners (100 mile meals) at least once per semester.