Sustainability Efforts
K-State's Dining Services also recognizes the importance of being good stewards of the Earth — and residents’ dollars. Here are a few highlights of our efforts to promote sustainability in our operations and lessen our impact on finite natural resources.
Recycling and Composting Efforts
Dining Services, in a collaborative effort with K-State Facilities, and the Agronomy Department, composts a majority of its pre- and post-food waste right here on our campus. Dining Services has also partnered with the K-State Animal Science and Veterinary Science Departments in research projects taking dining compost and transforming it into amino acids for animal feed. We also recycle used cooking oil to fuel biodiesel vehicles used at the KSU Recycling Center.
Glass, #10 cans, printer paper, and plastic containers are reused when possible. Items that cannot be reused or are excess are recycled, as are cardboard boxes, newspapers, paper and magazines that are brought into the dining centers.
Reusable Green Boxes for On-the-Go
Dining in our facilities is encoraged because it helps foster community and student support, but we know it may not always be feasible. However, by using reausable take-out containters our students needing on-the-go meals can feel good about not adding extra trash to the landfills.
Single Use Disposables
Dining services has made a commitment to eleminate polystrene disposables. When possible, we purchase paper disposables and napkins that are made from post-consumer-recycled materials.
All Taste No Waste Campaign
While many people in the world go hungry, Americans continue to throw away large quantities of food each day. Dining Services is working to reduce the amount of waste in our operations. The objective of the All Taste No Waste Campaign is to inform and educate about the environmental impact of this waste. We continually remind students to "take what you want, but eat what you take."
Tray-less dining helps support our sustainabilty efforts by helping control food wast while also reducing water, chemical and energy usage to wash trays.
Food Repurposing
Leftover food that looks good, tastes good and is safe to eat is re-served to students each day. Safe food that is not re-served is frozen and donated to the Flint Hills Breadbasket through our partnership with the Food Recovery Network. The Flint Hills Breadbasket is a nonprofit organization that works to minimize poverty and hunger in our community through the distribution of food products.
Food Insecurity
To battle food insecurity locally, Dining Services has committed to hiring any K-State student or hlocal high school student 16 years or older who are eligible to work in exchange for free meals* plus their hourly wage.
Dining Services is also the catering partner with St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center and The Food and Farm Council of Riley County and Manhattan for The Konza Student Table. We prepare weekly cold-packed, ready to be reheated meal and a to-go breakfast for The Konza Student Table volunteer staff to distribute to any student and their family.
*Students who work 8 hours a week receive 5 free meals in addition to their hourly wage.
Farm to Fork Program
Dining Services has long recognized the importance of supporting the Kansas economy by purchasing from local and nearby producers. Over the past several years, our Farm to Fork program has allowed us to purchase from the following vendors:
Weber Hall Meat, Kansas State University
All hamburger patties, sausage links, steaks, beef roasts, fajita meat and other products (when available) are purchased from Weber Hall. Weber Hall is a USDA-inspected facility operated by the Department of Animal Sciences at K-State.
Call Hall Dairy, Kansas State University
All fluid milk, for both drinking and use in our recipes, is purchased from the USDA-inspected milk-processing plant at Call Hall. Dining Services also serves Call Hall ice cream when possible — a campus favorite.
Cereal Food Processors, McPherson, Kan.
Our baked goods are made with flours from wheat milled locally in McPherson, Kan., by Cereal Food Processors.
Willow Lake Farms, Kansas State University
Seasonal produce from K-State's student farm whose mission is to provide education in sustainable food production.
Other local items, in addition to the above, are purchased as they become available throughout the year. Choosing local products reduces transportation costs, supports area farmers and also reduces carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions.