35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1200 Chicago, Illinois 60601

312.715.7361

www.greenchicago.org Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition:

a registered 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization

Project CAFÉS CAFÉ ASSESSMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY FINAL REPORT

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CONTENTS

ProjectIntroduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

ProjectMotivation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

DescriptionandCollaborators……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…3

Communications………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…3

ClassStructure………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……4

CaféDescriptions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

CobbCafé…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…6

ExLibrisCafé……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………7

HallowedGroundsCafé……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………7

HarperCafé…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………7

CaféAssessmentCharacteristics………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……8

CobbCafé…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………….……….8

ExLibrisCafé…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………..….……..8

HallowedGroundsCafé…….…………………………………………………………………………….………………………….….…..…9

HarperCafé…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….…..…….9

CaféVendors……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

VendorList…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

VendorInterviews……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10

Consumers……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…13

ConsumerResearch…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

ConsumerSurveyDesign…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

ConsumerSurveyResults………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….…….15

Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17

PotentialPartners……………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….17

Appliances…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..17

FoodSourcingandFoodWasteManagement………………………………………………………………..…….………………18

ConsumerEducation……………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………20

InternalEducation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…22

PeerReview…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22

SummaryandNextSteps………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………24

—Final CAFÉS Project Report —

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PROJECTINTRODUCTION

PROJECTMOTIVATION

ProjectCAFÉSengagedstudentsina“livinglab”researchsettingtoworkwithUniversityfaculty,staff,other students andexternal partners to create amodel for sustainableoperations in the student-runcafésoncampus.TheresearchconductedinthispracticumandtheresultingrecommendationsmadebyGreen Chicago Restaurant Coalition are intended to be used specifically to further the University ofChicagoOfficeofSustainability’sagendatomakediningoperationsmoreenvironmentallysustainable,bothinpracticeandinraisingconsciousnesswithinthestudentbody.

DESCRIPTIONANDCOLLABORATORS

ProjectCAFÉSwasacollaborativeefforttoassesstheenvironmentalsustainabilityofstudent-runcafésand to make recommendations to further increase sustainable operations. In order to achieve itsresearch and recommendation fulfillment goals, the practicum received input and support from theUniversityofChicago’sOfficeofSustainability, theUniversity’sCenter forLeadershipand Involvement(CLI),theGreenChicagoRestaurantCoalition(GCRC),theEnvironmental,AgricultureandFoodWorkingGroup (EAF), the Chicago Studies Program, the Program on the Global Environment, and the PublicPolicyStudiesProgramintheCollege.

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS

Thisprojecthadseveraloutletsforcommunication,includingpartners’sharedsocialmedia,andinternalFacebook,Twitterand Instagramaccounts,andaprojectblog shelteredwithin thenewEnvironment,Agriculture and Food Working Group website. Project updates and café-sustainability relatedinformation was relayed to the public periodically. Several times throughout the quarter, studentssubmittedblogpostsaboutfoodwasteandwatersustainability,aportionofwhichwaspublishedontotheprojectwebsite. Inadditiontoblogposts, thewebsitecontainsaprojectpressrelease,writtenbytheOfficeofSustainability.

GCRC communicatedwith students via groupmeetings and using Google drive. Each resource groupfromthepracticumclasssharedtheirrespectiveGoogleDrivefoldercontainingcurrentprojectprogressinformationwithothermembersof theclassandGCRC.Other specified foldersheld relevantphotos,administrativeinformationforthecourse,andresourcesfrompastprojectsandcertificationprogramsforstudentstoreferencethroughoutthepracticum.Additionally,individualcaféleadersandthecourse

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instructormanagedcommunicationbetweentheclassandtheproject’spartnersviaweeklyconferencecalls.ThesecallswereheldbetweentheclassandtheGCRCtocommunicateprogressandconcerns.Inaddition,weeklyprogress reports,writtenby resource teamsandcompiledby the café leaders,weresenttotheGCRC.

CLASSSTRUCTURE

Each student in this coursewas concurrently amember of two teams: a café team (Cobb, Ex Libris,HallowedGroundsorHarper),whichhandledallindividualcaféevaluations,andaresourceteam.Eachresourceteamwasresponsible forwritingupaweeklyprogressreport, inwhich itstated its tasks fortheweek,findingsfromthepreviousweek,anyfollow-upquestionsandnecessaryresourcesaswellasinformationabouthowthetaskscontributedtotheprojectprogressasawhole.Inadditiontoworkingwithin café and project teams, students also completed individual assignments meant to furtherindividual understanding of sustainable practices. Students identified public sustainability signage,contributed ideas for recommendations, and submitted blog posts relating to food waste, watersustainability and food serviceoperations. The class alsoparticipated in a field trip to TestaProduce,sponsoredbyChicagoStudies,totakeatourofthefacilities,conversewiththecompany’sexecutiveandvisionary,anddiscussthemyriadsustainabilityinitiativesunderlyingandbeingimplementedwithinthebuilding.

RESOURCEGROUPS

CAFÉ LEADERSwere responsible formanagingeachcafé team,handlingall cafématerials included intheGoogleDrive and facilitating all communications between the class and its project partners. Caféleadersdeliberatedonandpresentedaprojectworkplanandtimeline incoordinationwiththeGCRCand the instructor, subsequently ensuring that all milestones were met on time. They solicited thenecessarymaterialsfromallresourcegroupstoproduceaweeklyprogressreportfortheinstructorandaweeklyupdatefortheprojectpartners.Leadersalsoassuredtheimplementationoftheproject’sfinalrecommendationsbydevelopingaplanforastafftrainingprogramorSustainabilityManagerpositionwithineachcafé.

COMMUNICATIONS was responsible for creating the project name and logo, managing the projectwebsite,handlingallsocialmediacommunication,designingphysicalmaterialsfortheconsumersurvey,designingrecyclingsignageforthecafésanddesigningthefinalreportandpresentationtemplates.Thecommunications manager worked with the instructor and project partners to coordinate messaging,press releases and inquiries, socialmedia and any other outreach necessary for project success. Themanageralsocompiledall finalmaterials intothefinalpresentationandreport,completingalleditingandfinalreview.ThecommunicationsmanagerworkedwiththeEAFstudentcoordinatortocompletethefinalpressrelease,presentationandfinalreport.

CAFÉEVALUATIONworkeddirectlywiththecafémanagerstocompletethefullchecklistandinventoryrelatedtocaféoperations, includingbutnotlimitedtofoodsourcing,energyuse,watermanagement,recycling and waste management and consumer engagement. This included identifying any current

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sustainabilitypractices,gapsandobstaclestoimplementationandopportunitiesforimprovement.Theteamsurveyedfoodvendorstoevaluatecurrentpractices,includinglocalandsustainablefoodsourcing,disposablesandwastemanagement.

CONSUMERRESEARCHwasprimarilyresponsiblefortheresearchanddevelopmentofconsumer-facingsustainabilityinitiativesforthecafés.ThisteamworkedwithGCRCtodesign,implementandanalyzeaconsumersurveyfortheproject.Usingtheliteraturereviewandsurveyresults,theteamworkedwiththeexternalresearchteamtodevelop,designandpresentconsumer-facinginformationonsustainablepracticesatcafésorotheroutletsforconsumerengagement(socialmedia,event,incentives,etc.).

EXTERNAL RESEARCH constituted a resource group to all other groups needing research on food,energy,waste,wastepractices,environmentalperformanceandreturnoninvestment.Theteamsoughtoutsustainablepracticeexamplesatothercafés, includingthoseatothercollegesanduniversities,aswellasidentifiedandcarriedoutresearchneedsforthecaféleaders’workplan.Theteamalsoassistedthe consumer team by first conducting a literature review of consumer preferences for food servicesustainability and examples of consumer-facing sustainability practices in restaurants and cafés. Theteam also worked with the consumer research and communications team to develop, design andpresent consumer-facing information on sustainable practices, including signage for cafés and socialmediaconsumerengagement.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP-LEFT: HARPER CAFÉ TEAM, EX LIBRIS CAFÉ TEAM,

HALLOWED GROUNDS CAFÉ TEAM, COBB CAFÉ TEAM

CAFÉDESCRIPTIONS

COBBCAFÉ

LOCATIONBasementofCobbHall

HOURSweekdays7AM-4:30PM

METHODSOFPAYMENTCash,credit,debit,maroondollars

EMPLOYEE STRUCTURE18 total: GeneralManager, FinancialManager, Stockmanager and counterstaff

PRODUCTS Selection of Coffees, Teas, Hot meals from Hyde Park Restaurants, Granola Bars andotherpackagedsnacks,bottleddrinks,bagelsandpastries

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CAFÉDESCRIPTIONS[CONT.]

SALESANDVOLUME358 transactionsperday, totaling$1,761.36,or$4.29perpurchase (February10Data). Thishigherpricepoint, as compared to theother three cafés inquestion, suggests thatmealsconstitutealargeportionofitssales.

EXLIBRISCAFÉ

LOCATIONHousedwithintheRegensteinlibrary

HOURS8:30AM-11:30PMSunday-Thursday;8:30AM-5PMFriday;11AM-5PMSaturday

METHODSOFPAYMENTCash,credit,debit,maroondollars

EMPLOYEE STRUCTURE 29 Total: GeneralManager, FinancialManager, Stockmanager, Operationsmanagerandcounterstaff

PRODUCTS Selection of Coffees, Teas, Hot meals from Hyde Park Restaurants, Granola Bars andotherpackagedsnacks,bottleddrinks,bagelsandpastries

SALESANDVOLUME1200transactionsperday,totaling$4000,or$3.33perpurchase(February10,2016Data). Thisdata suggests thatEx LibrisCaféholds significantlymore trafficperday than theotherthreecafés.

HALLOWEDGROUNDSCAFÉ

LOCATIONSecondfloorofReynoldsClub

HOURS 8:30AM-11:30PM Monday-Thursday; 8:30AM-9PM Friday; 11:30AM-9PM Saturday;11:30AM-11:30PMSunday

METHODSOFPAYMENTCash,credit,debit,maroondollars

EMPLOYEE STRUCTURE 21 Total: GeneralManager, FinancialManager, Stockmanager, Operationsmanagerandcounterstaff

PRODUCTS Selectionof coffees, teas, refrigeratedmeals fromHydePark restaurants, granolabarsandotherpackagedsnacks,bottleddrinks,bagelsandpastries,fruit

SALESANDVOLUME207transactionsperday,totaling$707.94,or$3.42perpurchase(February10,2016Data).HallowedGroundsCaféservesprimarilyasameetingandstudyspace, completewithcouches,workspacesandpooltables;therefore,asignificantamountofdailytrafficdoesnotresultinpurchasesfromthecafé.

HARPERCAFÉ

LOCATIONThirdfloorofHarperMemorialLibrary

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HOURS9AM-12AMMonday-Thursday;9AM-5PMFriday;CLOSEDSaturday;12PM-12AMSunday

METHODSOFPAYMENTCash,credit,debit,maroondollars

EMPLOYEE STRUCTURE 21 Total: GeneralManager, FinancialManager, Stockmanager, Operationsmanagerandcounterstaff

PRODUCTS Selectionof coffees, teas, refrigeratedmeals fromHydePark restaurants, granolaBarsandotherpackagedsnacks,bottleddrinks,Fresh-deliveredbagelsandpastrieseverymorning,fruit

SALESANDVOLUME505 transactionsperday, totaling$1800,or $3.56perpurchase (February10Data).HarperCaféisthesecondbusieststudent-runcaféoncampus.

CAFÉASSESSMENTCHARACTERISTICS

COBBCAFÉ

ENERGYCONSUMINGDEVICESRefrigerators (6),microwave, foodwarmer,pizzawarmer, soupwarmer,waterheater,coffeebrewers(3),freezer,TV

WATEREQUIPMENTLISTDishwashingsink(3-compartment),aeratedHandwashingsink

WATEROUTPUTVOLUMEDishwashing:10.7GAL/MIN;Handwashing:2.6GAL/min

RECYCLINGRecyclingBin(1)infrontofthecounter

FOODANDBEVERAGESUSTAINABILITYCobbCafécurrentlysellsplasticwaterbottles,butitplansto eliminate this feature soon. The Cobb Café evaluator, in conjunction with Cobb Café’sgeneralmanager,noticed lotsofunfilledspace in the fridge, freezerand foodwarmer.At theCobb Café team’s suggestions, the café now moves all hot meals to one food warmer afterpeak lunch hours and subsequently turns off unused food warmers in order to conserveenergy.RecyclinginCobbremainsverylimited.

EXLIBRISCAFÉ

ENERGY CONSUMING DEVICES Refrigerators (6), espresso machine, espresso grinder, coffeebrewer, coffeegrinder, auxiliarywaterboiler, icemaker (2), toaster, pointof sale system (2),officecomputer,coincounter

WATEREQUIPMENTLISTDishwashingsink(3-compartment),aeratedHandwashingsink,aeratedUtilitysink,aeratedRinsingsink,espressomachine,coffeemachine

WATER OUTPUT VOLUME Dishwashing: 9.9 gal/min; Handwashing: 1.84 gal/min; Utility: 2.47gal/min;Rinsing:4.66gal/min

RECYCLING Recycling Bins (6) - One behind the counter and five dispersed among the seatingarea

FOODANDBEVERAGESUSTAINABILITYTheCafé’sreusablemugprogramiscurrentlynotmarketedto its fullpotential;ExLibrishasan inventoryofplastic reusablemugscreatedspecifically forthis program, yet very few patrons are aware of the program, and fewer yet purchase the

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reusablemugs. In addition, Ex Libris has anopen-display fridge for its refrigeratedmeals andbottleddrinks,whichisanenergy-intensiveandunsustainablepractice.TheCaféalsooperateson non-LED lights, which can be an easy and low-cost fix to improve the café’s energyefficiency.

HALLOWEDGROUNDSCAFÉ

ENERGYCONSUMINGDEVICESRefrigerators(6),coffeegrinder,coffeebrewer,espressomachine,microwaves (2), point of sale system, credit card reader, air conditioners (3) speaker system,unusedTVs

WATEREQUIPMENTLISTAeratedMainsink;Hand-washingsink

WATEROUTPUTVOLUMEMain:2.2gal/min;Hand-washing:10gal/min

RECYCLINGRecyclingBin(1)infrontofthecounter

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SUSTAINABILITY The hand-washing sink does not currently have anaerator, and therefore has a relatively high flow rate. This rate can be reduced by simplyadding an aerator to the sink. The Hallowed Grounds windows are missing screens, andthereforecannotbeopenedtoairouttheCaféortoregulatetemperature.TheroomusestheAC system instead. Prominent signage for the reusable mug program is found on the caféchalkboard,increasingpatronawareness.RecyclinginHallowedGroundsremainsverylimited.

HARPERCAFÉ

ENERGY CONSUMING DEVICES Refrigerators (4), ice maker, toaster, coffee grinder, coffeemachine,espressogrinder,espressomachine,scalemicrowave,pointofsalesystem

WATEREQUIPMENTLISTAeratedDishwashingsink,aeratedHand-washingsink,aeratedSanitizersink

WATEROUTPUTVOLUMEDishwashing:1.54gal/min;Hand-washing:1.86gal/min;Sanitizer:1.93gal/min

RECYCLINGRecyclingbins(2):behindthecounterandinfrontofthecounter

FOODANDBEVERAGESUSTAINABILITYRecyclingbinsbehindandinfrontofthecounterareusedregularly;however,thelackofrecyclingandtrashsignagegenerallyconfusescafépatrons,andnon-recyclable materials are often found in the recycling bins while many recyclables areplacedintothetrashcans.

VENDORLIST

COBBCAFÉAlliancePaperandFoodService;Betty’sBakedGoods;BowTrussCoffeeRoasters;CedarsMediterraneanKitchen;RajunCajun;Teageschwender;TestaProduce,INC;TheSitDown;TheSnailThaiCuisine

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EXLIBRISCAFÉAllianceBakery;AlliancePaperandFoodService;BenjaminTea;Betty’sBakedGoods;B’gabsGoodies;BowTrussCoffeeRoasters;BridgeportBakery;C&CDairy;HubertCompany;HydeParkProduce; Lifestyle Beverages; Staples; Taos Mountain Energy Foods, LLC; Testa Produce, INC; TheBagelers,;TheSitDown

HALLOWED GROUNDS CAFÉ Alliance Paper and Food Service; Benjamin Tea; Betty’s Baked Goods;BowTrussCoffeeRoasters;C&CDairy;CedarsMediterraneanKitchen;CocaColaEnterprises;HydeParkProduce; Rajun Cajun; Soul Vegan; Testa Produce, INC; The Bagelers; The Sit Down; The Snail ThaiCuisine

HARPER CAFÉAlliancePaperandFoodService;BenjaminTea;Betty’sBakedGoods;B’gabsGoodies;BowTrussCoffeeRoasters;C&CDairy;CedarsMediterraneanKitchen;CocaColaEnterprises;HydeParkProduce;RajunCajun;SoulVegan;TestaProduce,INC;TheSitDown;TheSnailThaiCuisine;WestTownBakery

VENDORINTERVIEWS

Followingreceiptofacomprehensivelistofvendorsservingthecafésoncampus,theCaféEvaluationsteamdeterminedwhich vendors on the list student researcherswould contact.Outreach restrictionsmeantexcludinglargervendorssuchasCoca-Cola,duetothesmallscaleofitssalestothecafés.Onceafinalizedlistofvendorstobecontactedwascompiled,membersoftheCaféEvaluationsteamdividedupthecontactsandbegantocontactthevariousvendors,subsequentlyfillingoutacomprehensivevendorquestionnaire. In addition to surveying the vendors, the team also reached out to the inventorymanagersat thefourdifferentcafésoncampusto learnaboutthedeliverymethodsofallvendorstoeachcafé.

Outreachtovendorswasconductedthroughthephonewhileoutreachtocafémanagerswasconductedthroughemail.TheCaféEvaluation teamdesignedthequestionnaire,detailedbelow,with input fromtherestoftheclassandtheGCRC.

1. Howdoyouchoosewhatpackagingtousewhendeliveringgoodstothecafés?(cost,packagingcompanyrelationship,availabilitythroughdistributor,materials,environmentalsustainability)

2. Isanyofyourpackagingmadeofpolystyrene?That’seitherthewhitefoam(oftenreferredtoasStyrofoam)orclearormilkyplasticwithanumber6onthebottom?Ifyoudon’tknow,wouldyoumindchecking?

3. Whataboutwaxedcardboard?

4. Doyoureusedeliveryboxes?

5. Wouldyoubewillingtoconsiderusingalternativepackagingthatisenvironmentallypreferable?

6. Howdo you deliver goods to the café?What kind of vehicle?Do you know theMPG for thevehicle?

7. Howfardoyoutraveltodelivertocafés?

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8. Woulditbepossibletodeliverlessoften?

9. Whatsuppliersprovideyouwithyourfood?[pleaselistallmainsuppliers]9.1. Howmanydeliveriesdoyoureceiveeachweek?9.2. Try to gauge quantities of items coming from different sources (grocery stores, farmers

markets,airshipped(importanttonote),etc.)

10. Any local food purchases? (Food grown or livestock raisedwithin a 200mile radius from therestaurant,duringthenormalgrowingcycleofthegeographiclocation(e.g.,noincreaseduseofenergy toextend thegrowing season -producegrown inheatedgreenhousesor keptout-of-seasonincoldstorage,etc.)Foroperationslocatedinaclimatewithalimitedgrowingseason,theradiusisextendedto400milesduringthenon-growingmonths.)

11. Doesthemenuchangeseasonally?

12. Areyourmeatpurchaseshumanely-raisedorantibioticfree?

13. Doyoupurchasesustainableseafood?(orN/A)Thismeansthateither:13.1. 80%ofseafoodpurchasesshallbefromspeciesthatarenotlistedontheMontereyBay

Aquarium SeafoodWatch® “AVOID” list and are not on the the Blue Ocean Institute’sSeafoodGuide“RED”list

13.2. ORsourcescertifiedbytheMarineStewardshipCounciloranequivalentprogram,withdocumentationthatthepurchaseisonlyfromcertifiedsources.

14. Doyouknowifyouhaveaprogramtorecoverandrecyclegrease/fryingoil?

15. Vendorspecific:Thecaféshavereportedthatyoupickupextrafoodthatisnotsoldbytheendoftheday.Whathappenstothisfoodthatthecaféssellback?

16. Similarly,whatdoyoudowithexpiredfood/unsoldfoodattheendoftheday?

17. Iftheydon’tparticipate infooddonationprograms:Doyouknowaboutfoodrescueandfooddonationresources?Canweputyouincontactwithsomeofthoseresources?

18. Whatdoyoudowithfoodscraps(frompreparation/orpost-consumption(egleftonplates)?)

19. Anyotherenvironmentallysustainableinitiativesyousupport?19.1. USDAOrganic19.2. CertifiedNaturallyGrown19.3. FoodAlliance19.4. RainforestAlliance

20. Would you be interested in improving your sustainability ratings? (doing this, interested, notinterested)

21. Areyouinterestedinanyofthefollowing:21.1. Composting,21.2. Localfood,21.3. Sustainablemeat,

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VENDORINTERVIEWS[CONT.]

21.4. Bio-basedpackaging,21.5. GreenRestaurantcertification,21.6. Ifyes,canweputyouincontactwiththeGreenChicagoRestaurantCoalition?

These specific questions were chosen to gain information most important to understanding theenvironmental impact of each vendor. The questionnairewas in part based on theGreen SealGS-55green certification for restaurants and food service, which had been developed with collaborationbetween the GCRC and EAF groups through a previous practicum course. The first section of theresearchfocusedonvendorpackagingdecisions.Sincethepackagingofvariousfooditemscanhavealarge impact on the environment, Evaluations also asked about the packaging itself. The team thenlooked intotheway inwhichdeliverywascarriedouttounderstandtheenvironmentaleffectof foodtransportationanddeterminewhethertheimpactcouldbedecreased.

Thequestionsfocusednextonfoodproducts,examininghowvendorsreceivedtheirfoodandwhetherornottheirsuppliershadanyenvironmentalcertificationstosuggesttheirsustainability.Incorporatingsuppliers that do have environmental certifications or buying local food can help vendors to directlyand/orindirectlyreducetheirenvironmentalfootprint.

Thenextquestions (listedasvendor-specific)addressedtheconsignmentsystem inplacewithcertainvendors.Aconsignmentsystemisone inwhichthevendorssupplyfoodtothecafésontheconditionthatanyfoodleftunsoldwillbecollectedbythevendorsattheendofeachday,andvendorswillonlybe paid for the food that is sold. The class wanted to examine the fate of the unsold food onconsignmentalongwithwhatwouldbedonewithgenerallyunsoldfoodandfoodscraps.Wastedfoodcouldpotentiallybeusedincompostorbefedtounderservedpopulations,ratherthanthrownintothetrash.

Thequestionnaireendedwithquestionsregardingthedifferentenvironmentalcertificationsandvaluescurrently held by the vendors along with gauging vendor interest in improving their sustainabilityratings.Thesequestionsallowedtheclasstounderstandthevalueofsustainabilitypracticestovariousvendors.

Thesecondsetofquestionwasdeliveredbyemailtothecaféinventorymanagers,tobeansweredforeachvendordeliveringtothecafés.Askingcaféinventorymanagersinsteadofvendorsgavetheclassamore reliable response rate along with a more specific overview of all vendor delivery activity. Thequestionswereasfollows:

1. Howoftendoeseachvendordelivertothecafé?Woulditbepossibletodeliverlessoften?

2. Whichvendorsdeliverperishableitems(sandwiches,sushi,salads)?Ifsoaretheytransportedincoolers?

3. Inwhatdotheydelivertheproduct(cardboardboxes,reusablecrates,N/A)?

4. Howoftendotheypickfoodupfromthecafés?

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5. Howdoesorderingtakeplace?Paperorderform,online,overthephone?

Thesequestionsseek toestablishacafé-sideunderstandingof theorderinganddeliveryprocess.Thegoal of this research is to determine whether sustainability can be improved through reducing thenumberofdeliverytripsandimplementinguseofreusabledeliverypackaging.

FullresultsfromtheVendorsurveyscanbefoundhere.

CONSUMERS

CONSUMERRESEARCH

Indesigningthesurvey,ExternalResearchfirstcompiledresearchaboutUniversityandcaféprogramsaimed to reduce overall environmental footprint. Unfortunately, most of the available informationfocused on facility improvements, which University of Chicago students cannot implement bythemselves. Therefore, External Research redirected focus into consumer practices in order todetermine how café patrons can help their cafés become more environmentallysustainable/responsible. This encompassed twomain types of programs. The firstwas a discount forusing a reusable cup or mug, which is primarily implemented within national corporations such asStarbucks and Einstein Bros. Bagels, and is already available at the campus cafés, albeit in an under-advertised program. The second method was much more common on University campuses. Schoolssuch as theUniversity of California host an event at the halftimeof a basketball game, duringwhichdifferent dorms and organizations compete to see who can collect the most recyclable material.Additionally,ExternalResearchresearchedsurveysthatweretakenatotherschoolstoanalyzecommonmethodsofreducingwaste.Theteamthenusedthosesurveystohelpformatthisproject’sconsumersurveyinhopesofprovidingmostimpactfulsuggestionsforcaféimprovement.

CONSUMERSURVEYDESIGN

SURVEY FRAMEWORK To design a survey identifying café consumer preferences for environmentallysustainabilitypracticesattheUniversityofChicago.

DESIGNThesurveywasdesignedonSurveyMonkey.Itconsistedof15questionspertainingtoconsumerhabits in the cafés, consumer buying behavior, consumer valuation of various sustainable practicesalongwithwillingness topay for certain food characteristics. Thedesignersof the surveyopted for aprimarilyclose-endedquestionformatinordertokeepthesurveyconcise.An“other”optionwithafill-inwasalsomadeavailableonmostquestions.Othersurveydesignelementsinclude:

1. Therandomizationofresponsechoices.

2. Requiringanswerstoeveryquestionexceptingthoseinvolvingpersonalinformationsuchasgenderandaffiliation.

3. The application of page and question logic to ensure that people did not encounterquestionsirrelevanttotheirexperience.

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4. The inclusion of variables to gauge consumer perception of practices that are commonlyfalsely viewed as “environmentally sustainable”. These include non-GMO foods, cage-freeeggs,andall-naturalingredients.

SAMPLECafépatronsatCobb,Ex-Libris,HallowedGrounds,andHarper.

INCENTIVE MECHANISM To encourage sufficiently representative response rates, survey participantswereofferedavoucherredeemableforafreecupofcoffeeorteathroughouttheweekofsurveying.

FEEDBACKThesurveydesignteamsolicitedfeedbackfromSurveyLab,theGCRCandapre-teststudentpopulation. The team then used this information to identify and remedy any remaining design flawspriortotheformaladministrationofthesurvey.

DATACOLLECTIONThesurveywas launchedonSunday,February21,2016andranthroughThursday,February 25, 2016. Each student in the class contributed at least two hours of data collection. Allstudentsadheredtoanidenticalsurveyingprocedure:

1. Customerswereapproachedatthecaféentrance.

2. Studentsrecitedthefollowingscripttosolicitcustomerparticipationinthesurvey:“Hi.Weareofferingfreecoffeeorteaforyourinputonwaystoimprovethecafés.Thesurveyonlytakesafewminutesanddoesn’trequireanypersonalinformation.Haveyoualreadytakenthesurvey?Ifnot,wouldyoubewillingtotakeit?”

3. Upon agreement, customers were presented with iPads, courtesy of the Office ofSustainability,onwhichtheytookthesurvey.

4. At the endof the survey, participantswere handed a voucher for free coffee or tea. ThefundingforthevoucherscamefromcafémanagerDaveMcEvers.Thevouchers,asshownbelow,wasdesignedbyDeimanteTankusoftheclassCommunicationsteam.

Surveying hours spanned all hours of operation across each café to capture a most representativesampleofcafépatrons.Additionalemphasiswasplacedonmorning(9-11AM)andmealtimes(12-2PM

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and 6-8PM). By the end of the surveying period, the class had collectively logged 44.5 hours andcollected368surveyresponses,witharesponserateofapproximately76.03%.

CONSUMERSURVEYRESULTS

As shown in the graph below, consumer survey results indicate a large demand for improving theexisting recycling program. Over 60% of respondents ranked recycling in the top three sustainablepractices to be implemented in cafés, indicating clear demand for better recycling programs. Duringtheirwalkthroughs, theCaféEvaluation teammembersnoted thatmanyof thecurrent recyclingbinscontainnon-recyclableitems.GiventheseresultsandthefindingsofExternalResearch,thebestwaytoaddress the issue is to improve signage. Using photos of products in the cafés, the Communicationsmanagerhasdevelopedsignagetoeducateconsumersonwhatcanandcan’tberecycled.Objectslikeutensils, plastic bags, and napkins, for example, cannot be recycled even if they are bio-based. Thisprojectwillhelpto increaseconsumerawarenessoftherecyclingprogram,andreducetheamountoftrashthatisbroughttolandfills.

Surveyparticipants requestedbetter foodwaste recoveryprograms,with almost38%of respondentslisting this as a toppriority in the cafés. In a separatequestionaskingwhat students think shouldbedonewithunsoldfoodattheendoftheday,chartedbelow,nearly68%ofrespondentsansweredthattheypreferthefoodtobedonatedtoneedynon-studentpopulations.Unfortunately,duetothecurrentliability restrictionsaccompanying fooddonation, thisprogramcannot feasiblybe implemented in thecafésimmediately.Itisworthnotingthatitisarecommendedauniversity-widelong-termgoaltoworkwithanorganization suchas theHomelessFoodRuns,whichgivesmealpacks tohomelesspeople inChicago, and has expressed interest in incorporating leftover food from campus cafés into theirprogram.Whilesuchpartnershipcannotcurrentlybeimplemented,thecaféscanpromotevendorswhohave their own food donation programs as an immediate solution to unsold foodwaste on campus.Most food is bought on consignment, meaning that the cafés only pay for what is sold and that all

ImportantCaféPractices

Recycling Energy-EfficientAppliances

FoodRecoveryPrograms

EliminatingBottledWater

NoneoftheAbove

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unsoldfoodisgivenbacktothevendorsattheendoftheday.Cedar’s,forexample,donatesthisunsoldfood tohomelesspeople inHydePark.Bypromotingvendorswhohave fooddonationprograms, thecaféscanindirectlypromotesustainablefoodwastepractices.

If the caféswere to look towardsmore sustainable vendors and foodproducts, foodwaste practiceswouldbeanimportantcomponenttoconsider.However,whenmakingpricingdecisionsitisimportantto consider how customers value different characteristics. Our surveys indicated that the medianstudentwouldbewillingtopayupto$0.50morefororganicfoodsandhormone-freedairyproducts,andupto$1moreforlocallysourcedfoods.Whencafésconsidernewvendors,theirchoicesofvendorsand products should reflect these results. It is important not to overstate consumer preferences forenvironmentally preferable food sourcing, as there is evidence students, like many consumers, aregenerallyunawareof food labelingpractices.Asadummyvariable, thesurveyaskedhowmuchmorestudents would be willing to pay for cage-free eggs (median response: $0.50 more) and all-naturalingredients ($1.00 more). Although GCRC’s mission works to ensure consumers are educated aboutsubstantive, meaningful, and credible labels, the general issue remains: misinformation aboutenvironmental claims iswidespread, as evidencedby cafésproject survey. Cafémanagers could labellocally sourced, environmentally preferable, or third-party certified foods as such to educate andencouragepatronswhomaynotrecognizeorimmediatelyvaluetheseattributesoftheirpurchases.

Fullsurveyresultscanbefoundhere.

WhatShouldbeDonewithUnsoldFood?

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RECOMMENDATIONS

POTENTIALPARTNERS

ItistherecommendationofGCRCtocontinuetheworkoftheprojectduringthe2016/2017academicyearandtoutilizethisreporttooutlineacomprehensivecampus-widesustainabledining initiative. Inanefforttoimplementandimprovepractices,suchasfooddonation,wastemanagement/composting,and reducing the cafés’ overall environmental footprint, it is GCRC’s recommendation to expand theexisting project partnerships and establish new partnerships with registered student organizations(RSOs) on campus and Chicago-based organizations thatmight be helpful to thework. Potential RSOpartnershipsincludeCalvertHouse,theCatholiccenteroncampus,astheyaredeeplyinvolvedinfooddonationefforts,andthePhoenixSustainability Initiative,agroupthatworkstopromoteanddevelopsustainable technologies, practices and policies within the Chicago community. The Food RecoveryNetwork, a student movement to recover and donate food to needy populations, may be anotherorganization to consider. Developing partnerships would likely be very effective in facilitating thedevelopmentofuniqueandeffectivesustainabilityprogramsinthecafés.

APPLIANCES

REFRIGERATIONANDHEATINGOFFOOD Itisrecommendedeachcaféconductafullenergyaudittoidentify suitable replacements forequipmentwhereapplicable.Additionally refrigerators ineachcaféshouldkeepfoodat the41°FmaximumtemperaturerequiredbytheFDA. Ifcustomersprefercolderdrinks,therefrigeratorscanbesettothemaximumacceptabletemperatureduringoperatinghoursandset to 41°F when closed. In the case of Cobb, which has a heated food area, the food heater isrecommendedtobesettotheFDArequiredminimumtemperatureof140°F.Laterintheday,foodcanbemovedtoonewarmingareaandtheremaindercanbeshutoff.ThishasalreadybeenimplementedatCobbCafébutrequiresstandardizedbehaviorbycaféemployeestobeeffective.

INTERIOR SPATIAL HEATING AND COOLING Recognizing that the cafés do not control their ownheatingandcooling,GCRC recommends that cafésmakeaneffort tousewindows to regulate indoortemperaturesinsteadofusingadditionalheatingorcoolingdevices(suchasspaceheatersorACunits)wheneverpossible.

SINKS Given the large difference in flow identified in water tests (detailed in the Café Assessmentsection)itisrecommendedthataeratorsbeaddedtoallsinks.Eachcafésshouldturnofffaucetswhennot inuse,andtrytominimizeextraneouswaterusage. Werecommendcontinuingtousethree-sinksystemsalreadyinplaceinmanyofthecaféswhichisshowntosavewaterbynotrequiringarunningfaucetandonlyusingthewaterofasinkfilledasingletime.Furtherrecommendationwouldbetoaddasinkleaksitemintodailycheckliststoensurethatthesinksarenotcontinuallywastingwater.

OTHERELECTRICAPPLIANCESIfplugloadscannotbecompletelyeliminatedbyunpluggingalldevices,itisrecommendedallelectricappliancesarepluggedintopowerstripsandthepowerstripsswitchedoffattheendofthedaytominimizephantomloadsandtheuseofstandbypower.

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APPLIANCE UPGRADES In order for GCRC to make recommendations about appliance upgrades, acomprehensivewalkthroughwithVerdeSolutionsisrecommended,asadditionalinformationisneededfrom Facilities and café operations. At present, the cafés can do their best to reduce energyconsumption and waste to the extent possible with current appliances, by ensuring recommendedtemperaturesaremaintainedandappliancesareturnedoffwhennotinuse.

FOODSOURCINGANDFOODWASTEMANAGEMENT

FOOD WASTE TECHNOLOGY External Research has started to research food waste disposaltechnology,whichtheUniversitycouldpotentiallyinstallinthecafésorelsewhereoncampus.Theteamrecommends looking into pulpers and shredders, dehydrators, dry compost machines and “wet”systemssuchasEnviroPure.EnviroPureisaself-contained,continual-feedorganicfooddisposalsystemdesignedtoconvertfoodwastetowater.ItisimportanttonotethattheUniversityofChicagoalreadyhas two EnviroPure systems on campus, but these are not used for the cafés, and the waste is notcompostedorreusedasofyet.There isgreatopportunitytocollaboratewithFacilities,Sustainability,and Dining on aggregation and creative reuse options for the resulting water-soluble waste. Thefollowing table, compiled with information provided by the 2015 Enviropure Comparison Brochure,detailsacomparisonoftheoperatingcostsofdifferentfooddisposaloptions:

FOODSOURCINGANDFOODWASTEMANAGEMENT[CONT.]

TheUniversityof IllinoisatChicago’sDiningServicescurrentlyusesthreeEnviroPuresystems.AnotheralternativeforfoodwastedisposaltechnologyincludesanEco-SafeDigester.Examplesmaybefoundathttp://biohitech.com/digester.

External Research has also considered the use of tracking software to helpmanage and reduce foodwasteinthecafésandoncampusasawhole.OnetrackingsoftwaretoconsiderisLeanPath,aprogramthat helps to documentwaste and provides suggestions regardingwaste reduction. Examples can befound at http://leanpath.com. For both the food waste disposal technology and tracking systems,furtherresearchandinvestigation,aswellasinformationfromtheUniversityincludingbutnotlimitedtobudgetconstraintsandfacilitydetailsisneededbeforeeffectiveimplementationcanoccur.

COMPOSTING For food that is no longer edible, the composting method would be beneficial andprovide an educational opportunity for students. While challenges due to space, scale and smell,multiple outlets exist to facilitate campus composting. The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition works withneighboringuniversitiesDePaul,Loyola,Roosevelt,theUniversityofIllinoisatChicagoandtheLutheranSchoolofTheologyatChicagobyconnectingthemwiththecommercialvendorsthatsupplyfoodscrapcollection services. These vendors retrieve the food scraps and transport them to a site to becomposted.Manyof thesevendors, suchasHealthySoilCompostLLC,offer special institutionpricingfortheirservices.

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DONATINGCurrently,unsold food in thecafés is soldback to thevendorsatadiscountedprice.Thevendors then dispose of food that cannot be sold (excluding Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen, whichdonates leftoverfoodtothehomeless).Establishingamethodforregularfooddonationcouldgreatlyreduce food waste volumes. Multiple agents exist to facilitate food donation. At the University ofChicago’sCalgaryHouse,membersengageina“homelessfoodrun”everytwoweeks.Thisrunincludespackaging over 60meals and handing them out to homeless populations. Connecting the cafés withCalgary Housemembers could facilitate the food donation process. Other sources for food donationinclude churches and community centers. Many of these establishments, such as the Sabeel FoodPantry,will pickupunsold food from the cafés freeof charge.GCRCalso strongly recommendsusingZero Percent, which can connect cafés to organizations in need that will pick up unsold food. Fooddonationprovidesaneducationalcomponentforstudents,aswellasopportunitiesforstudentservice.

VENDOR CHANGES The External Research group recommended the following providers to beconsideredforthecafés:LifehouseWholeFoodGrill,Café53,TheSip&Savor,RobustCoffeeLounge,Jazzman’sCaféandBakery,NativeFoodsCaféandFabiana’sBakery.

These restaurants and cafés self-identify as sustainable institutions and, although they are not third-partycertifiedassustainable,eachclaimstofollowavarietyofsustainablepracticessuchasprovidingorganic,non-GMO, local, veganandvegetarianoptions, compostingwaste,donating to thehomeless,convertingfryergreasetobiofuel,andofferingfoodcarryingSustainabilityCertifications.

Jazzman’sCaféandBakeryoffersRainforestAlliance,Fairtrade,UTZ,Bird-Friendlyandorganiccertifiedproducts. More information about Jazzman’s Café and Bakery can be found athttp://www.jazzmanscafe.com/aboutus.html.

NativeFoodsoffersexclusivelyveganoptionsandsupportsboth localandnationalenvironmentalandanimaladvocacygroupsinadditiontoeducatingtheAmericanyouthto“eatpeace”.MoreinformationaboutNativeFoodscanbefoundathttp://nativefoods.com/our-story.

Both Robust Coffee Lounge and The Sip & Savor offer fair-trade coffee. The Sip & Savor’s coffeeselectionalsoofferscertifiedorganicandshade-grownoptions.MoreinformationaboutRobustCoffeeLoungecanbefoundathttp://www.robustcoffeelounge.com;moreinformationaboutTheSip&Savorcanbefoundathttp://www.sipandsavorchicago.com/about_us.

ORDERINGANDDELIVERYManyofthevendorsthatservethecaféscannotdeliverlessoftenbecausethefoodismadefresheveryday.Inlightofthis,GCRCrecommendsworkingwithvendorstoincreasesustainable practices. Betty’s, Cedars, Taos, Teageschwender, and Testa all expressed interest inadoptingsustainabilitymeasuressuchascomposting,offering localandseasonal foodalongwithbio-based or more sustainable packaging. Additionally, packaging from Benjamin Tea, Cedars, andTeageschwenderis left inthecafésupondeliveryandisrecommendeditbereused. Teageschwenderwouldalsobewilling to takebackdeliveryboxes toreusethem. BenjaminTeacouldbeordered lessoftenandingreateramounts,providedthatthecaféshavethebudgetandstoragespace.Thiswouldsavetransportationresources.

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CONSUMEREDUCATION

SIGNAGE Chicago nonprofit, the Delta Institute, recently conducted an experiment focused on thewasteand recycling system in theFieldMuseum’sSiragusaCenter. Sixexperimental treatmentswereimplementedtoseewhichresultedinthehighestwastediversionrate.Thesixtreatmentsincluded:

1. Theintroductionofacompostbin

2. Informationtogroupleaders

3. Communicationattables

4. Pathtobins

5. Communicationatbins

6. Allstrategies.

The study concluded that flyers resulted in the highest diversion rate when compared to the othertreatments. A combination of all treatments resulted in 43%waste diverted; flyers, 30%; bin tops &signage,22%;pathtobins,13%;tabletopsignage,10%;andcompostbins,7%.

Thestudy recommendeduseofclearanddirectbinsignageand languagealongwithprovidinggroupleaderswithinformationtoincreasewastediversion.

Delta Institute’s recommendation regarding informing group leaders about waste diversion practicescontributeddirectlytoGCRC’srecommendationforanewcaféemployeetrainingmedel.Byuniformlyinforming café employees about café-specific sustainability practices, the University facilitates theavailability of resources regarding environmental sustainability, such as appropriatewaste sorting, tocafépatrons.Thismayresultinincreasedenvironmentalawarenessandmayfacilitatediscussionaboutenvironmentalissues.MoreinformationabouttheDeltaInstitute’sStudycanbefoundhere.

Another effective food waste diversion strategy is the creation of a variety of signs with uniquemessaging.A significantportionofpeople surveyedduring this project expressed concerns about thevery low number of recycling bins in the student-run cafés. In addition to increasing the number ofavailablerecyclingbins,itisnecessarytohaveappropriateandeffectivesignageinformingcustomersof

DeltaInstitute

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CONSUMEREDUCATION[CONT.]

howtoproperlydisposeoftheir trash,recyclablesand,potentially,compostables.Signscouldexpressanyofthefollowing:1)promotingproperwastesortingpractices,includingimagesofproductsspecifictoeachcafé inadditiontogeneralproducts,2)at-hometipstoreducefoodwaste,3)“didyouknow”table-topsigns,4)mapsdisplayingfoodorigintoemphasizelocalfoodpurchases,5)informationaboutbio-basedproductsusedinthecafé,etc.

ENGAGEMENTConsumereducationandincreasedengagementbetweenthecafésandtheircustomersis critical foreffectivesustainablepractice.Consumersmustbe familiarwith thesustainablepracticesimplementedwithinthecafés,aswellasthemotivationsfortheseimplementedpractices.Consumersmust also understand how they can individually contribute positively to these sustainability efforts.Cafésmustthentakestepstostrengthenconsumerengagementandthuspromotesuchenvironmentalprogram literacy through variousmethods, such as effective signage, verbal communication, periodicdemonstrations,andsocialmedia.

Oneunderutilizedengagementinitiativethatmustbehighlightedandwidelypublicizedtocafépatronsis thestudent-runcaféReusableMug/Thermosprogram, throughwhichcustomerscan receivecoffeefor$1providedthattheybringorpurchaseareusablemugorthermos.Thisprogramexists inallfourstudent-runcafés;however,onlytheHallowedGroundsCaféhastakenstepstoadvertisetheprogram.The potential to reduce solid waste in the cafés is significant: over 80% of Project CAFÉS surveyparticipants claimed to carry a reusablemug or thermos. Café Leaders, however, estimate that onlyapproximately20%ofcustomersusetheirownbeveragecontainers.Thus,theReusableMugProgramiscurrentlyunderutilizedduetoineffectiveconsumerengagement.

Popularfoodprovidersdevelopedsustainabilitycampaignstoengagecustomerswiththeirefforts.Forexample,McDonald’sMcCaféfocusedoncoffeesustainabilityandpledgingtosourcecoffeeresponsibly.Their website displays a video documenting the story of their entire coffee attainment process.Starbucksoffersa$1reusablecupprogramaspartoftheir“BigPictureCampaign,”whichisgearedtoshowing their customershow individualactions cancontribute to larger sustainabilityefforts. TheBigPicturewebsitefeaturesa“MakethePledge”section,aswellasa“CalculateImpact”sectionpoweredby the EnvironmentalDefense Fund.Other foodproviders such asGordon Food Service release theirown sustainability report that can be viewed on their website and which details their goals forenvironmentalconservation.Theirwebsitealsofeaturesapageinformingvendorshowtomarketfoodservicesustainabilitytoitscustomers.

WEBSITEMANAGEMENTThecurrentwebsiteforstudent-runcaféswouldbenefitfrombeingfurtherdeveloped, incorporating sustainability related goals and/or practices for each café.Most restaurantsand other food providers analyzed by the External Research team have websites with detailedinformation about their sustainability practices, suggesting that website marketing is an effectivemethod of sharing the cafés’ sustainability goals and practices with their current and potentialconsumers.

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INTERNALEDUCATION

STAFFTRAININGSustainabilitytrainingmustbeincorporatedintothestandardtrainingprotocolthatispresentedtocafépersonnel.Sustainabilitytrainingwillservethetwofoldfunctionsof1)ensuringthatstaff are themselves practicing environmentally preferable behavior and 2) ensuring that staff areconfident in their ability to educate consumers on how to engage in behavior that promotessustainabilityineachrespectivecafé.Itisrecommendedstaffsustainabilitytrainingisimplementedandaugmented to include demonstrations as well as a printed manual so that staff can refer to theguidelineswhennecessary.

RECYCLING In order to effectively improve sustainability practices in the cafés, café staffmembers need to be well-versed on what the specific recycling procedures are at each cafélocation. This should consist of knowing what types of materials can be recycled and/orcomposted, in addition to where the different forms of waste is recommended to bedistributed.

WATER It is imperativethatcaféstaffare informedof thebestpractices forminimizingwaterwaste intheirdailyroutine.Managersmustclearlycommunicatetostaffhowtoreport issueswithsinksandknowhowtotakestepstorequestmaintenanceonotherwaterrelatedproblemsshouldtheyarise.

FOODWASTE Staff must be educated on, and familiar with the locations and procedures ofcomposting systems once they are implemented. Staff should also be familiar with theprocessesoffooddonationprogrampartnershipsoncetheyareestablished.

APPLIANCE USE Staff must review proper appliance operations to ensure minimal misuse ofelectricity. Café managers must make staff aware of how to request maintenance work andunderstandthechainofcommand.

ENERGYStaffmustbeeducatedon,andfamiliarwiththeircafé-specificenergypies.Inthisway,staffwillknowwhatresourcesarebeingusedwithgreatestfrequencyandadjusttheirbehavioraccordingly.

MUG PROGRAM The use of personal mugs by staff members must be more stronglyimplemented tominimizematerialwaste among internal personnel. Staff should alsobe fullyaware of the reusablemug program and understand how to best educate consumers on thebenefitsofparticipatingintheinitiative.

PEERREVIEW

Foodserviceprovidersworldwideareincreasingtheirsustainabilityefforts,andcafésarenoexception.Starbucks, Le Pain Quotidien, Au Bon Pain, Peet’s Coffee and Tea, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf allimplement a variety of sustainable practices: organic food procurement, reusable cup programs, LEDlighting, energy-efficient appliances, resourcemonitoringpractices, etc. Toassesswhatprogramsand

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initiativesmightbemost feasibleandsuccessfulon theUniversityofChicagocampus, contextualizingtheUniversityspaceandthecityofChicago,ExternalResearchreviewedprimarilytheinitiativesofpeeracademicinstitutionsinChicago.

Columbia,DePaul,Loyola,Northwestern,SchooloftheArtInstitute,Roosevelt,andUniversityofIllinoisatChicagoandUrbana-Champaignallhavecompostingprograms.Themajorityofcompostislaterusedinlandscapingoperations.UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-ChampaignhasthreeEnviroPuresystemsunderDiningServices,whileRooseveltusesaSomatpulper.Moreinformationabouttheserespectiveprogramsmaybefoundathttp://www.housing.illinois.edu/dining/about-dining/sustainabilityandhttp://www.roosevelt.edu/News_and_Events/News_Articles/RR/SP2013/WasteNotWantNot/RUCompostProcess.aspx.ThefollowingtableliststhevariousprogramstartdatesandpartnercompaniesassociatedwiththeUniversities’respectivecompostingprograms:

Whenfoodcannotbecomposted,someuniversitiesdonatefood.NorthwesterndonatesitsleftoverfoodthroughtheCampusKitchensproject,inwhichfoodisdonatedtoastudent-runkitchenandisconvertedintonutritiousmealsforpopulationsstrugglingwithfoodinsecurity.Moreinformationaboutthisprogrammaybefoundathttp://northwestern.edu/sustainability/strategic-initiatives/food.DepaulUniversity’sProject:CleanPlatedonatesleftoverfoodtolocalfoodbanksandhungercharities.Moreinformationcanbefoundathttp://www.dineoncampus.com/depaul/show.cfm?cmd=sustainability.AttheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago,excessdryfoodisdonatedtothelocalSalvationArmyandanyoverstockofprepackagedfoodsisdonatedtothePacificGardenMissionlocatedinChicago.Readmoreathttps://sustainability.uic.edu/campus-resources/foodandwater/.Inadditiontothesefooddonationprograms,peerinstitutionsengageinavarietyofothersustainabilityefforts,suchasprovidinglocal,vegetarian,veganandGreenCertified

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PEERREVIEW[CONTD.]

productsaswellasimplementinghydrationstations,reusablemugprograms,traylessdining,orenergyefficientappliances.

A number of academic institutions also implement sustainability programswithin or relating to theircampus cafés, standouts being theUCDavis Associated Students CoffeeHouse and theUniversity ofRoehamptonHiveCafé.UCDavisCoffeeHouseopenedin1968,andre-openeditsdoorsin2010withasustainability-focused agenda. The Coffee House supports local farmers and businesses by providingorganic, fair tradeandshade-growncoffeealongwithorganicand locally-grown fruitsandvegetableswhenever available. The café educates its customers and employees about both general and café-specific sustainability initiatives. In addition, the CoffeeHouse conductswaste audits to evaluate theefficiencyoftheirlandfilldiversioneffortsforbothconsumerandbehind-the-counterwaste.Avideoofthe process may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfQurJFHi4I. The Hive Café at theUniversityofRoehamptoninLondon,EnglandisasocialenterprisethatsupportsGrowhampton,afood-focused sustainability program. The café itself ismade from two repurposed shipping containers anddecoratedwithupcycledmaterials.TheirMatthewAlgiecoffee is triple-certifiedasOrganic,Fairtrade,andRainforestAlliance.Foritsmeals,thecafépartnerswithTheFeelGoodBakery,asocialenterprisethatdonatesafreemealtoachildinneedforeveryFeelGoodsandwichbought.Someoftheproducesold is even produced on the Roehampton campus. More information can be found athttp://www.growhampton.com/hive-cafe/cafe.

SUMMARYANDNEXTSTEPS

SUMMARY

Althoughall caféshavemadecommitments to initializegreater recycling initiativesandcreateproperaccompanyingsignage,itisGCRC’srecommendationtocontinuetheworkofthisprojectandstreamlinewaste signage throughout the university. Through effective signage and reusable beverage containersales, the cafés hope to engage the public in a more involved way around issues pertaining tosustainability.Creatingmessagingthatisuniformaroundwasteisanessentialstepinensuringthereisconsumer confusion is mitigated. The information collected in consumer surveys strongly informedGCRC’s recommendations for next steps. In particular, results maintain food donation is a priorityamong café patrons, as are other sustainable practices, culminating in a clearer picture regardingconsumervaluationofcertainenvironmentallypreferableproductsandpractices.Animportantgoaltostrive towards is greater internal responsibility and engagement, particularly through mandatorytrainingandgeneraleducationaboutsustainableproductsandpractices.Assustainabilityisoftenbesttackled inan incrementalmanner,easy-to-implementpracticesarerecommended inadditionto long-termandinvestment-heavychanges,suchasswitchingtomoreenergy-efficientlightingandappliances.

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Costlierchangeswilllikelyoccurwithinthenextfewyears,givingadequateplanningtimeandroomforfurther research. During the initial phase of implementation, cafémanagers can also ask vendors toprovide more local and sustainable products, encouraging sustainable operations not only on theUChicagocampus,butalsowithinthevariousvendoroperationsacrossthecity.

NEXTSTEPS

CAFE LEADERS Café leaders will continue to ensure that all recommendations are effectivelycommunicatedtocafémanagersandallcaféemployees.Thiswillhelptobegintheimplementationandemployeeeducationprocess.

COMMUNICATIONS A future goal for Communications is to develop a comprehensive café masterwebsite, which will include information about café offerings as well as all relevant sustainabilityinformation.Additionally,theteamwillworktofinalizeandimplementcafésignageforrecyclingaswellasconsumereducation.

CAFÉEVALUATION

COMPOSTING Implementing composting in the cafés has become one of the project’s maingoals. Central composting site on campus is not currently feasible, however, several of theinterviewedvendorscompostthroughtheResourceCenterinChicago,whichpicksupcomposton demand. Such a model could be an option for the cafés. It is recommended the Cafévaluations team continue to work with the cafés, University Facilities and the Office ofSustainabilitytorealizethisgoal.

ADVISING PURCHASES Utilizing all information collected throughout the quarter, the CaféEvaluationsteamhopestoworkwithcafémanagersinthefuturetopromotesmartpurchasingof newproducts, equipment, and appliances. An easy place to startwould be changing cups,napkins and cutlery toenvironmentallypreferablealternatives. Theseproducts areusedat averyhighfrequency,andsmallchangeswouldcertainlydecreaseenvironmentalimpact.Thelidsthat thecaféscurrentlyuse, forexample,arecomposedofnon-recyclablepolystyreneplastic.Switchingtorecyclableorcompostablelidsisimperative.

VENDOR SUSTAINABILITY In the vendor interviews, Café Evaluations asked the vendors aboutvariouspracticestogaugetheirindividualsustainability.Someofthesevendorshaveoperationsthat could be improved. For example, some vendors may consider switching to moreenvironmentallyconsciouspackagingordeliverymaterials.Whilemanyvendorsusedreusablecratesandhotbags,somealsouseddisposablecardboardboxes.Ratherthanusingboxes,theserestaurantswillbeadvisedtousecratesorotherreusablecontainerstotransporttheirgoods..

Thecafésare intheprocessofsecuringanewprimarybakery.Thecafémanagersreportthattheyaresearchingforabakerythatmeetsthefollowingcriteria:local,minorityand/orwomanowned,qualityyet reasonablypriced,andenvironmentally sustainable.CaféEvaluationwould

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like toworkwith thecafés tooverseeevaluationof thesustainabilitypracticesportionof thecriteria.

CONSUMER EVALUATION After analyzing the results of the consumer survey, and in order toimplement consumer-facing recommendations, the consumer team will focus on testing differentconsumerinformationcampaigns,includingsignageandpromotions/contestsinthecaféstoencourageconsumerstorecycleandreducewastemoreeffectively.

EXTERNALRESEARCHExternalResearchwasunabletoproduceindividualcaféenergypiesthatclearlyrepresent the energy usage distribution from the various appliances with the current amount ofinformationgleanedfromthisquarter’sresearch.Inthefuture,however,ExternalResearchcouldworkmore closely with University Facilities, the Office of Sustainability, and perhaps a third party todeterminecorrectenergyuseallocation.Oncetheteamhasthisinformationonhand,itwillbeabletocalculate more accurate estimations of energy usage in the cafés and therefore provide betterrecommendations as towhich appliances are recommended to be replaced aswell as otherways toreduceindividualapplianceenergyusage.