Students enjoy the 150-Mile Picnic
The Hill has made a conscious effort to reduce our negative environmental impact by addressing our dining services practices. For example, Hill has held events sponsoring environmentally friendly products, such as an all-organic and locally produced faculty dinner and the purchase of all locally produced milk. Some of the other initiatives are listed below.
Read more about our recent 150-Mile Fall Picnic. The Hill community recycled 82 pounds of plastic and aluminum, and composted more than 300 pounds of food and other "green" items!Trayless Dining
We successfully initiated trayless buffet dining. This step reduces our environmental impact by requiring the use of less water and chemicals to clean trays. Another positive effect of a trayless dining hall is less food waste, as members of the community are more likely to take smaller portions -- only taking what they can carry.
Waste Reduction
Waste reduction in the dining hall is a hot topic. We continue to seek student interest and involvement in this issue and large improvements have been made on this front. We now track our waste after each meal in order to identify future adjustments in portions. We have taken the opportunity to educate our community about portions and encourage diners to finish what is on the table before getting additional bowls or plates of food. We are saving about 60 pounds of food a day over previous usage!
We have also limited the amount of desserts and beverages served during seated meals; this has cut back on our waste tremendously. By providing only water on the table at seated meals, we have provided a healthier option while reducing waste.
100% Chinaware
Dining services no longer provides disposable plates, cups, or utensils at meals.
Compostable products
We made the switch to compostable plateware at catered events and picnics on campus. We have plans to initiate a composting program here at Hill, which will allow us to compost the plates.
We are very proud of the work that has been done so far and we look forward to making improvements. If you have any suggestions, please send an e-mail to Marie Fechik-Kirk, the High Meadows Foundation Chair of Sustainability, at mfechick-kirk@thehill.org.