Sustainability
Sustainability
With education as the primary focus of our business activity, UIC Dining is committed to fostering and promoting sustainable business principles to our guests. Our employees lead by example through activities that minimize our impact on the environment by practicing the 3Rs, with a primary focus on reduction.
Our programs focus on including the necessary information to encourage informed choices on both the food we conserve, and the ways we interact with the natural environment. Charitable donations, and active volunteerism by our employees are just some of the ways that we re-invest in our community and the campus.
Environment
Minimize our impact on the environment with primary focus on REDUCTION. Our approach is to bring awareness and education and implement best practices where viable for waste management, water conservation, energy efficiency, and pollution control.
Purchasing Initiatives
Encourage responsible and sustainable practices in our supply chains. Our purchasing initiatives provide food choices which celebrate flavor, affirm cultural traditions and support local communities, and include local purchasing, fair trade coffee and sustainable seafood programs.
UIC Dining in the Community
Support and encourage charitable initiatives and community reinvestment with our employees and partners corporately and locally where we do business.
Nutrition & Wellness
Provide programs and education that foster and promote healthful, productive workplaces and communities for the benefit of our associates and guests. Programs include Balanced U, our healthy lifestyles nutrition program, and healthy work place reward and development program.
Things we do every day at UIC Dining to support sustainable operations: Heading link
- Serve cage-free shell eggs
- Support and purchase from local farms
- RGBH Free Milk
- Trans Fat Free Oils
- Reduced antibiotic poultry
- Only serve seafood on the Monterey Bay Seafood safe list
- Fair Trade Coffee options
- Trayless Dining
- Implement training & education for employees on how to operate sustainably
- Develop educational materials for guests on how everyone can make an impact
- Follow the Balanced U principle which focuses on 4 basic tenants of sustainable and socially responsible business practices – Eat Green – Run Green – Return Green – Build Green