After a post-consumer waste study taken in 2008 determined that nearly 30 percent less food is wasted when trays are not readily offered, Dining Services removed trays from our all-you-care-to-eat facilities. This change began during summer 2008 during freshman student orientation so that incoming students would never miss trays when they arrived on campus. Trays are still offered for handicapped guests or other special requests and are still available at a la carte facilities, where they have never been used on a wide scale.

Reusable Water Bottles

Fall 2010 marked the beginning of Dining Services’ reusable bottle program. The water bottles are sold at Owens Food Court for purchase with cash, Flex Dollars, or Dining Dollars; and offer a $0.10 discount for fountain beverages and free water for any individual that presents the bottle at the register. The bottles are stainless steel for easy cleaning and sanitizing, and possess a drinking surface separate from the filling surface in order to prevent the spread of germs. They are printed with the Dining Services logo and are the only approved container for this use in the dining centers. Over the course of a four year college stay at Virginia Tech, it is estimated that the bottles could save a student over $80 when used for soda and keep 11 pounds of waste out of the landfill per person.

Reusable to-go containers

In April 2011, Dining Services began a reusable to-go container pilot program. The program, "Green To-Go," is meant to test a selected eco-clamshell as an alternative to the current Styrofoam containers. Students may purchase the containers at Owens Food Court with cash, Flex Dollars, or Dining Dollars. The students own their particular container and may keep it. They are to be used similarly to food storage containers for this particular program (they may not be served into, but food is to be transferred into them from a plate). A feedback process containing a survey and possibly a focus group will take place during summer 2011, where the program will be reassessed and continued.

Waste Tracking Study

During spring 2011, a food waste study was conducted in partnership with the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. Three dining centers were in full participation. D2, Owens, and West End tracked their food waste in detail for three months and entered it into a web database created by the Division of Student Affairs’ Communications and Marketing Department.

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