Sustainability
Reusable Container Program
Help WMU reduce our carbon footprint by reducing single-use plastics and opting into the reusable container program at Café 1903!
- Opt in by swiping your card at the cashier stand at Café 1903 to receive your first container (You will also need to swipe for your meal as well).
- Select your food to be placed in your reusable container.
- Enjoy your meal on WMU’s beautiful campus!
- Return your container (empty, please) back to Café 1903 and exchange for a clean, sanitized gold carabiner, which you can swap later for a new container.
- Repeat as often as you like!
Why is reducing the use of single-use plastics important?
The production and incineration of plastic produce greenhouse gases which are significant threats to the Earth's climate. Learn more about the environmental impact of plastic.
Composting Initiative: 2021 - 2023
In 2021 through 2023, the Office for Sustainability partnered with Dining Services and Landscaping Services/Facilities Management to turn the Valley Dining Center’s fruit and vegetable scraps (pre-consumer waste) into compost at the Gibbs House, using a large-scale, aerated static pile system. In just two months of collection in 2021 diverted over 1800 pounds of food waste from the landfill.
Unfortunately, due to transportation challenges and some other barriers, this partnership is not currently active, but Dining is looking for other university and non-university partners to continue this initiative another capacity. This sort of initiative is not able to operate in a silo, and Dining Services needs partnership from other organizations to help divert fruit and vegetable scraps from the landfill. Dining Services is looking for other partners who could help to:
- pick up and deliver collected fruit and vegetable trimmings to a compost pile
- carefully monitored the temperature and moisture environment within the compost piles to ensure it is ideal for the microorganisms to turn the food scrapes into nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer
Please let us know if you know of partners who can help us!
LEED Gold Certification
Western Michigan University's Valley Dining Center was awarded LEED Gold certification demonstrating continued support for the strategic goal of sustainable stewardship. Valley Dining Center has the ability to seat 1,000 guests while providing a unique variety of food options at nine micro-restaurants. The facility is designed to enhance social interaction and appeal to the interest of all students, staff and guests. Valley Dining Center offers a wide variety of healthy options as the staff prepares roughly 4,000 meals per day in a thoughtful, nutritious manner. Also included is a state-of-the-art pantry accommodating food allergies and intolerances, the first of its kind on campus. The facility incorporates a variety of sustainable features and "green" building functions. Find out more about sustainability at Valley Dining Center.
Food Waste Awareness
The Western Student Association helped Dining Services to raise awareness about the facts regarding food waste to students and other patrons of the dining centers. These infographics about the quantity of food we waste as a society were posted in the dining centers for a few years. Students and other diners are encouraged to reduce their own post-consumer food waste in the dining halls by choosing portions responsibly.
Recycled Napkin Dispensing
Dining Services replaced table napkins with Tork® Xpress napkin dispensing systems. To minimize waste and reduce the environmental impact, the dispensers:
- Use 100% recycled post-consumer recycled fiber napkins.
- Increases hygiene and cuts waste by delivering one napkin at a time.
- Utilizes a chlorine-free bleaching process that eliminates the release of damaging chlorine compounds into the environment.