BGSU Dining and Sustainability
BGSU Dining Sustainability
BGSU Dining's approach to social responsibility and sustainability are tied to our team's core values. Through a variety of innovative programs and policies, we work closely with the communities we serve to reduce the impact our operations have on the world around us. Our focus on composting, recycling, resource conservation, and waste reduction help us ensure that the resources we use today will be available for future generations.
New Hydroponics System at the Oaks
Tended by our Campus Dietitian and Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, Paige Wieman, this new system produces a wide variety of ingredients that will be utilized by Sous Chef Jared Dreyer and his culinary team at the Oaks Dining Center.
Our Vegan Friendly station, "Shoots" will be the primarily user of items grown. Using these ingredients, he will be adding unique menu items featuring ingredients grown in the new hydroponics system. If you have any question about the system, would like a tour, or have a media request, please fill in your contact information below with a short message explaining the request.
Sustainable Campus
The Oaks
- LEED Certified Gold
- Glass exposures for natural light
- 75% of construction wasted recycled
- 100% building materials purchased in 500 mile radius
- Gray water reclamation system for restroom fixtures and landscape irrigation
- Special Features
Carillon Place
- LEED Certified Silver
- Glass exposures for natural light
- 50% of construction waste recycled
- 20% of building materials are purchased in 500 mile radius
- Storm water reclamation system for landscape irrigation
BGSU Dining is proud to have the 111 Navy Chair created by emeco in many of our locations. These chairs are special due the 111 bottles of Coca-Cola products that are recycled to create them! See if you can find them across campus.
BGSU Dining uses reclaimed wood whenever possible in our location design.
- Reclaimed Urban Wood for our tables in the Starbucks located at the Bowen Thompson Student Union.
- The Oaks Dining Center has multiple wooden tables created with reclaimed wood by members of our staff.
Sustainable Programs
All Campus Picnic - Zero Waste Event
Thursday September 13th over 3200 students, faculty and staff gathered for BGSU’s annual Fall All Campus Picnic. The event was a joint effort by BGSU Dining and the Office of Campus Sustainability and was, like the year before, a zero waste event, the fourth in two years for the University and BGSU Dining. The Office of Campus Sustainability was happy to report that the efforts of all those involved led to 100% of the cans and bottles returned to be recycled, zero contamination in the compost collected, and a negligible amount of trash accumulated throughout the event. The event was a success for all involved and a great welcome to campus for the academic year.
#FrenchFryPromise
Help us fight food waste everyday!
Sustainable Food
Videos we love!
BGSU Dining is committed in providing healthy and sustainable products in all of our locations every single day of the year.
In support of that mission, we proudly commit to the following:
- Buying local products to support family farms
- Serving seafood that comes from sustainable sources
- Promoting certified humane cage-free shell eggs
- Purchasing poultry produced without the routine use of human antibiotics
- Providing milk and fresh yogurt that is free of artificial growth hormones
- Implementing waste reduction practices to minimize environmental impact
- Offering packaging made from renewable resources
BGSU Dining commits to purchasing sustainably sourced ingredients for our dining locations through our extensive network of vendors and providers.
Check out the video above to learn about how Chef Joel uses our Urban Cultivator to grow 100% GMO free and organic ingredients for The Oaks!
Green Roof
The Oaks Dining Center Roof is home to the “Green Roof Project” and other environmentally sustainable features, which include large sections of green ground cover with native perennials, a deck made of repurposed wood, and in the summer, a bounty of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The project is a partnership between the Office of Campus Sustainability and BGSU Dining.
Benefits
- Green grid interlocking plant tray system made of Sedum.
- Watering on the Green Roof is done using a rainwater retention system
- Deck is made from re-purposed Douglas fir
Partners and Funding
- 50% of the Green Roof is funded by the Student Green Initiatives Fund
- 50% BGSU Dining Services management company, Chartwells
Looking for more info about the Green Roof? Click here!
During summer 2018, the garden was planned and is maintained by Alycia Bowerize, a BGSU Dining Prep Cook. The opportunity to work in the garden was offered to her by Executive Chef Marissa Riffle, to which Bowerize enthusiastically accepted. Bowerize’s planning process began with an evaluation of the site, checking what needed to be fixed or replaced, assessing the differing amount of sunlight each area receives, and asking about what has and has not worked in previous years.
The garden’s regular plants include, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, various herbs, multiple kinds of pepper, cucumbers, zucchini, and lettuce. The garden is also the home of several perennial plants like strawberries and sunflowers. New to this year, Bowerize decided to try to grow onions, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and Swiss chard. She also tries to select attractive annual flowers to put in hanging baskets to bring some color and compliment the reclaimed barn wood of the area.
A substantial issue that the garden had at the onset of this summer was the mint plants dominated their planting box and their root systems spread to other boxes, preventing the growth of the other plants. Ultimately, the root systems had to be sawed to be separated. The more common and less severe challenges Bowerize faces includes, replacing hoses, weeding, trimming perennial plants, and keeping the plants adequately watered to compensate for the elevated rooftop summer heat. When selecting the species of plants that will be grown on the roof, Bowerize consults with Chef Marissa and the other chefs about what plants they want to try to use in their kitchen, as well as, her own knowledge, experience, intuition about what she knows will be used in the kitchen, and personal preference.
Other than the kitchen, the produce grown is used for special events on the roof and is offered to administrative staff to take home or consume as a snack at work. Admittingly, Bowerize takes very little for herself, preferring to share the bounty.
Interested in seeing this little-known gem of green and all the other sustainable features on the Oaks’ Roof? The Green Roof is not open to the public, but tours of the space are available for individuals to groups of up to 30 people. Please email greenbg@bgsu.edu
for more information about classroom experiences and to arrange a tour while the weather is beautiful!
Partners & Programs
Partners Contact Information
BGSU Office of Campus Sustainability
Dr. Nick Hennessy
419.372.9949
Hirzel Farms
Bridget Burgess
20790 Bradner Road, Luckey, OH 43443
Phone: 419.467.7525
Composting
- Collaboration with the BGSU Office of Sustainability and Hirzel Farms in Pemberville Ohio
- Participating Locations
- The Oaks
- Carillon Place
- Starbucks
- Dunkin' Donuts
Recycling
- One of the largest recyclers on campus.
- Reduced paper, china/silverware, plastic paper cup waste.
- Uses post-consumer products (napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, office paper.
Energy Conservation
- We conserve energy by: preheating equipment, reducing cooking equipment temperatures, and maintaining equipment.
- Solar Panels System
Contact us for more information on our sustainability efforts at greenbg@bgsu.edu