Green Dining

Residential Dining Services is always striving to increase local and or third-party verified goods, such as certified organic, in dining centers, and express centers. In addition, waste diversion is prioritized when it comes to food waste. The dining centers utilize pulpers, biodigester, and recycling processes when it comes to used cooking oil and food scraps. 93% of all food waste is diverted through composting and waste to energy programs. Trayless dining was also implemented in 2008 in an effort to reduce overall food waste and encourage students to take only what they need. Leftover food is also donated to Larimer County Food Bank. All of the dining to-go products and 100% compostable including containers, drinkware, and cutlery, and students are encouraged to properly dispose of them in the compostable containers located in every residence hall lobby and outside waste stations.

Sustainability Home
  • Environmental Eats takes place five times throughout the year in the Corbett Lobby Teaching Kitchen. The mission of this program is to promote more sustainable food choices and knowledge about where food originates and how small choices can have large impact to food systems.
  • Held in the community kitchen in Corbett Hall, outside of The Foundry, Environmental Eats have attracted hundreds of residents to learn about sustainable dining, since its introduction in 2018. Different themes of this program include sustainable seafood, insect diet, food grown on-campus, honey, and blended mushroom burgers.
  • Greens grown on campus from the Horticulture Center are served in the Dining Centers and are easy to identify by their “on campus grown” label.
  • Since the partnership was formed in 2017, a total of 6,346 pounds of greens have been produced and served in the dining centers.
  • This partnership operates as a living lab with a Horticulture student intern who manages practicum students who plants, harvest and manages the hydroponic system. The practicum has evolved into a for credit course with a faculty advisor from the Horticulture Center. The intern and faculty advisor provides hands-on experience to students, practicum grad students and volunteers throughout the year. The Sustainability Coordinator supervises the intern in Housing & Dining Services.
  • The partnership continues to look for ways to incorporate new efforts in expanding campus grown food, new projects include growing tomatoes and herbs.
  • Read the complete CSU SOURCE story here:  Campus Grown Food Partnership
  • Items in the dining centers are tailored to fit every lifestyle. Dining Services is proud to provide options for customers with special dietary needs and provides vegetarian and vegan-friendly choices at each meal. For further details on nutritional information and eating well, please view the dining menus and the eat well blog eatwell.colostate.edu/