Sustainability

Our Initiatives

Your Sodexo Campus Dining Team is dedicated to sustainability. We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at University of Tampa. In addition to the many initiatives we take on as a company, we have implemented the following programs specific to University of Tampa.

Stop Hunger Initiative

As the leader in Quality of Life services, Sodexo believes all children deserve access to sufficient healthy food every day so they can learn, play and thrive.

That’s why, in 1996, we created our Stop Hunger initiative and, in 1999, launched the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to ensure every child in the United States grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life – because no child should be hungry today or risk being hungry tomorrow.

Here, at The University of Tampa, our team donates money to the Stop Hunger Foundation through various on campus fundraisers. In previous years, we have hosted Fresh Markets and Vendor Showcases as efforts to raise money. Our team has also participated in Stop Hunger Runs in the Tampa area.

Recycling

At UT, we use recycled to-go boxes. Our spent cooking oil from the campus is recycled --- the used oil is filtered, processed and distributed for reuse. The used product is clearly of value as payment is received when the oil is removed rather than a charge incurred for removal and transport service.

Food Recovery Network

To avoid food waste, The University of Tampa Dining Services partnered with the student-run Food Recovery Network to donate left over food every Thursday to an at-risk youths center. The students not only deliver the food, but they have nutrition and sustainability lessons with the children. UT is also almost completely tray-less to reduce amount of left over food.

Sodexo Sustainable Seafood Policy

To meet our commitment, Sodexo developed and launched its Sustainable Seafood Policy in 2011. The policy seeks to keep fish in the sea as well as seafood on its menus and catalogs, preserving jobs, satisfying customers, providing nutritional well-being and offering environmental benefits. The sustainable seafood policy seeks to ensure that throughout Sodexo's supply chain, the right processes are in place to guarantee ample fish stocks for the future.

Local Suppliers

We use Southern Flavors to bring in locally sourced fruits and vegetables that are in season. We have organic and natural food products available in selected retail areas and use the products in daily dining menus. We serve cage free hard boiled eggs. Our Starbucks Reserves purchases 100% ethically sourced coffee in partnership with Conservation International.

Apex

As part of its commitment to increase the sustainability of its operations, Dining Services uses Ecolab’s Apex™ dishwashing system. Apex combines technology and products designed to save water and energy, minimize the impact of products on the environment, and has a built-in method of measuring results. Apex uses a unique combination of detergents, rinse additives, equipment and consultative services to address the operational challenges in food-service operations. The Apex management approach uses a tablet PC and wireless technology to communicate with the system's controller to download, process and analyze data to establish each food-service operation's "rack-to-guest ratio." By monitoring and improving this ratio, the system helps reduce the amount of water and energy used at each facility, and improve total operational efficiency. All locations will benefit from using less water, energy and labor, thus minimizing their operations' overall environmental impact. In addition, the Apex system further supports Dining Services' sustainability initiatives with non-caustic chemistry and 95% less packaging material than current methods. Apex products come in a compact solid form that significantly reduces transportation shipments compared to bulkier liquid detergents.

Energy Saving Equipment

We implemented kitchen equipment energy conservation initiatives. New variable speed hood exhausts have been installed in the kitchens and serving areas that are much more energy efficient and which reduce depletion of air conditioning. Low volume, high pressure spray heads have also been installed in kitchen areas. Maximum Icers” are used in various locations throughout campus --- machines are used to pre-chill incoming water to make more ice using less energy --- installed in the Martinez Sports Center, Spartan Club, VC kitchen, Stadium Center kitchen and other areas. Kitchen equipment is rated by Energy Star for operating efficiency and conservation. Faucet aerators are installed for minimal water flow at city-supplied water pressure. Strip curtains that assist in maintaining room temperatures are applied to kitchen walk-in coolers and freezers.

Xprss Nap

XPressnap dispensers are another solution to reducing energy and waste. They use 30% less paper than traditional napkin dispensing mechanisms. The great thing about these dispensers is that they help the environment while helping to keep costs down. The napkins are made of 100% recycled paper and the dispenser will encourage customers to take (and waste) less napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material. According to Xpressnap, enough is saved through using recycled napkins to power 600 American homes for an entire year! More than half a million gallons of oil were saved ‘ 38 tanker trucks worth ‘ and 41 tons of pollutants were kept out of the environment. Using recycled napkins diverted 4,131 cubic yards of paper from landfills. This is enough to cover a football field with a stack of paper two and a half feet deep.