University of Missouri, Kansas City Dining Services

Sustainability

Visit the UMKC Sustainability Team website!

Sodexo has partnered with Ecolab to help create a cleaner and healthier dining environment while conserving resources and reducing waste.

Some of our initiatives include:

No-rinse products for dish washing to use less water.
Products and packaging use renewable materials.
Product designs that minimize packaging.
Products shipped using substantially less fuel.

Single Napkin Dispensers

UMKC Dining Services has recently replaced the baskets full of napkins that were placed on each table with the single napkin dispensers that are strategically placed around the Cafeteria. These new napkin dispensers make it harder for students to grab an unnecessary handful of napkins for a job that only requires one or two napkins. Hence, UMKC Dining Services is reducing its carbon footprint on the world by using fewer napkins and producing less waste.

Environmentally Friendly Cups

Freshens has recently introduced its new environmentally friendly cup called the "Ecotainer Paper Cold Cup" that will replace the existing polystyrene foam cups that are currently being used in major foodservice retailers around the US. Freshens is the first national retail brand to introduce this Paper Cold Cup throughout its system. The new polylactic acid coating that is used by the ecocontainer is not water soluble and will not dissolve in cold or hot beverages. Also, when thrown away, it is biodegradable unlike the polystyrene foam cups.

Sustainability at Starbucks

UMKC Dining Services and Starbucks are committed to reducing our environmental impact through increased use of post-consumer recycled materials.

60% post-consumer fiber sleeve
First-ever 10% post-consumer fiber cup

Organic Composting Program

On October 27, 2008 the University Center began a partnership with Missouri Organics and Sodexo in an organic composting program. It is our intent that the reduced tonnage in food waste will allow for a cost savings over the life of the program. This program can not only be beneficial to the current University Center operation, but also a foundational cornerstone to the sustainable focus in operating the new Student Union.

Here are some basic mechanisms of how the program will work:

Missouri Organics has supplied 4 96-gallon containers for the program
The containers are lined with compostable bags
Sodexo will purchase 5-gallon buckets that will be filled with preparation waste and post-consumer waste and then transported to the 96-gallon containers. The 5-gallon bucks will encourage individual responsibility for the program and reduce the cost of additional bags.
All food waste materials, plus card board, wax paper, and food cartons are compostable. The only items that will fall outside of this process will be plastics, i.e. straws/creamer contains/etc. Our intent is to provide a separate tub by the dish line to encourage our students and guests to join us in the process by separating their plastic items much as they currently do their silverware. We hope you join us in this new endeavor.

Trayless Cafeteria

The Union Cafeteria has recently disposed of all trays from the dining program. Without trays, students will be more prone to strategically picking what foods they would like to eat for their meal thus ensuring more healthy choices. Also, there will be less waste production because students cannot pile food onto their trays so instead they will finish what food is on their plate before going to get more if necessary. Last year, the Cafeteria wasted 30 tons of food as a result of tray usage. Finally, trays waste gallons of water in order to be cleaned so without trays the Cafeteria can save lots of water.

Cage-free Eggs

UMKC now serves cage-free eggs only!

UMKC Dining Services is now proud to serve only cage-free eggs across campus.

Dining Services is committed to listening and responding to our student customers.

Why are we going "cage-free"?

General input from members of the UMKC Community
An SGA Resolution passed in Spring of 2007 requesting cage-free only eggs
Support for this transition from the UMKC Student Board of Governors
Sodexo's commitment to social responsibility and responsive management

We are committed to a socially responsible dining program.

DID YOU KNOW…

Most egg-laying hens in the United States are confined in wire battery cages so small they can't even spread their wings. Suspended over their own waste, the hens are unable to engage in many of their natural behaviors, including nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging, let alone roaming, walking comfortably, or even feeling the earth under their feet. Overcrowded in tiny barren cages, these birds endure lives of daily frustration and suffering.

We are proud of our decision to exclusively use eggs from cage-free hens, and we're thrilled to be honored by the Humane Society of the United States for this decision.