Vanderbilt University - Campus Dining

Davidson County
Category: Sustainable Performance

Vanderbilt University Campus Dining leads the nation in sustainable dining practices. A founding member of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC), it promotes healthy, sustainable food choices focusing on plant-forward menus and local sourcing. Vanderbilt collaborates with a coalition of 68 institutions to promote healthier, sustainable food choices.

Central to this initiative is a network of 15 hydroponic tower gardens on campus which produced a total of 69.3 pounds of fresh greens and herbs in 2023, which helps minimize the carbon footprint associated with food transport and provides immediate access to fresh, nutritious produce. Vanderbilt's network of local farms and producers supplies the campus with a wide variety of local and small-batch items. Noteworthy are Vanderbilt's partnerships with locally based HydroHouse Farms, Henosis Farms, and Ever Tru Farms that represent a $250,000 plus annual investment in local farmers, ensuring that Campus Dining offers the freshest ingredients while supporting Tennessee's agricultural sector.

Vanderbilt's waste reduction efforts as it relates to campus dining includes the ReusePass program, saving 44,732 single-use containers, serving more than 2.1 million meals in its network of 22 dining halls, markets, and cafes. Vanderbilt fully implemented the ReusePass program in 2023 across campus, which lets all students, faculty and staff members select a reusable bowl or clamshell container for to-go meals at no additional cost. Guests have up to three days to return containers to dish-return areas to be washed, sanitized, and scanned back into stock. ReusePass has made a significant impact with participation of over 4,886 students; 5,596 containers used at least once; and a 97 percent all-time return rate. In total, Vanderbilt's ReusePass program has saved 44,732 single-use containers from landfills and avoided $13,867 in costs. This approach has significantly decreased Vanderbilt's pre-consumer food waste from 188,895 pounds in the 2020-21 academic year to 98,307 pounds by 2022-23, a remarkable 50 percent reduction in just a few years.

In addition to ReusePass Vanderbilt continues to reduce waste elsewhere with the "No.More.Plastic." initiative which eliminates single-use plastic water and soda bottles in dining halls, markets and vending machines across campus. As a result, more than 430,000 plastic bottles have been saved each year since the program began - over 1.7 million bottles during a graduating class's four-year experience. In August 2021, the university expanded the initiative to its athletics concessions program, ending the sale of all single-use plastic bottles at athletics events. Fans now enjoy more sustainable beverage options at sporting events with recyclable aluminum containers or reusable commemorative cups. The impact of this shift has been significant, eliminating more than 25,000 single-use plastic bottles sold annually at Vanderbilt concessions stands.

Vanderbilt also diverts food waste to compost, significantly reducing its environmental impact. These initiatives are part of Vanderbilt's broader sustainability strategy, targeting 30 percent waste reduction and zero waste by 2030. This is further enhanced by its collaboration with The Compost Company, which transforms food waste into valuable compost for campus greenery. Vanderbilt composted 128.15 tons (256,300 pounds) of food waste collected across eight locations.

Vanderbilt University Campus Dining is a model of sustainability and innovation in the food service arena, serving as a catalyst for environmental innovation and community engagement in Tennessee. These initiatives demonstrate Vanderbilt's leadership in advancing sustainable dining and highlight its commitment to supporting Tennessee's agriculture and economy.