Sustainability
Sustainability is integral to Carolina Dining Services’ mission to ensure all Tar Heels are well fed, happy, and feeling at home. The goal of our program is to educate the UNC community on sustainable food systems while ensuring we are operating sustainably, offering climate-friendly menus, and diverting waste from landfills. We regularly engage in community outreach through informational tabling sessions, sustainable food samplings and pop-ups, and other events such as our award-winning Farm Stands. We also work with the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling on campus to align our initiatives with the greater University goals and policies.
Continue reading to learn more about our award-winning sustainability program and how you can get involved!
What We Do
Expand each section to learn more about our ongoing efforts!
We offer climate-friendly menus through locally and sustainably sourced products, low carbon-certified Coolfood Meals, and a dedicated vegan Plant Forward station in both dining halls. We also bring local produce to campus through our award-winning Farm Stand events!
Click here to learn more about our responsible sourcing efforts.
Our team works hard to prevent and recover food waste through a robust pre- and post-consumer composting program, surplus food donations, and a fryer oil recycling program. Guests can also help reduce food waste through our Pick Your Portion program, which allows you to request half, standard, or double portion sizes in the dining halls to best meet your needs.
Click here to learn more about our food recovery efforts.
We encourage reuse and circularity, and work hard to divert waste from landfills. We have pre- and post-consumer composting and recycling available in our main dining locations, and offer a reusable to-go container program (ReusePass) in our dining halls to reduce single use packaging. Guests are welcome to bring their own utensils, straws, and water bottles when dining in our locations.
Click here to learn more about our waste diversion and circularity efforts.
We have a number of programs in place to increase access to food on campus, including a Meal Donation Program, weekly surplus food donations, monthly Farm Stand events, and frequent produce donations to the Carolina Cupboard.
Click here to learn more about our food access efforts and other resources available on campus.
Education is at the heart of our sustainability program. We offer educational resources to our guests through our website, signage, social media, a sustainability newsletter, and weekly events. Students can get involved through the Green Guide volunteer program, sustainability internships, and student organization partnerships.
Click here to learn more about how to get involved!
What You Can Do
There are many ways individuals can make a difference in their campus and community! Below are some ways you can get involved in our efforts and learn more about sustainable food systems.
We host weekly sustainability events, including Farm Stands, Coolfood Meal samplings, Wipe Out Waste events, and educational tablings.
Visit our Events Page to see what’s coming up!
There are many ways to get involved in our sustainability program! Our Green Guide volunteers help guests learn how to properly sort their waste, and we offer Sustainability Internships throughout the academic year. We also partner with several campus departments and student organizations, such as the Carolina Cupboard and Food Recovery Network!
Click here to learn more.
Plant-forward eating is a great way to reduce your carbon “foodprint.” Try a Coolfood Meal or our Plant Forward station in the dining halls!
Click here to learn more about climate-friendly eating.
Try Pick Your Portion in the dining halls to customize your plate to your needs, and be mindful when filling your plate – you can always go back for more! You can also compost your leftovers at Lenoir and Beach Cafe, and bring your compost from home to the Edible Campus Gardens and select residence halls.
Click here to learn more about our waste diversion efforts.
Check out our Disposables Guide to learn how to sort packaging on campus between compost, recycling, and landfill.
Sign up for ReusePass to check out reusable to-go containers from the dining halls, and bring your reusable water bottles, straws, and utensil kits to campus to reduce single use packaging!
Meet the Sustainability Manager | Victoria Hill
Victoria received her B.S. from the University of South Carolina Honors College, where she studied environmental science with a focus on food sustainability. While at UofSC, she spent her time interning with the Office of Sustainability, pulling weeds in the campus permaculture garden, and serving as president of the beekeeping club.
She now works with the CDS team to educate the UNC-Chapel Hill community on our sustainable dining program while exploring opportunities for food recovery, local sourcing, waste diversion, campus food access, and more.