Sustainability

FoodMaven sells high-quality local, oversupplied and imperfect food from distributors, manufacturers and producers to restaurants and institutional kitchens at a significant discount. They leverage an efficient online marketplace, big data optimization technology, and an agile logistics model.

They then make sure it gets sold, donated or sent to environmentally conscious alternatives.

In short, FoodMaven is good for profits, good for people and good for the planet.

DU and Sodexo have come up with a new Food Sustainability Policy. It includes meeting goals of 30% purchasing by 2025, including offering 40% local food options on our catering menus. The purchasing will follow closely with the AASHE guidelines.

Other features focus on culturally representative menus, educational training for employees and students, labeling, waste reduction and waste diversion, recycling, health and wellness, and community involvement with measurement processes.

Click here to read the policy in full, and learn more about our sustainability efforts.

Starting in the Fall quarter of 2022, DU is now offering reusable containers to help reduce container waste. We've paired with Ozzi to provide O2GO containers for all students, faculty, and staff for to-go meals. Not only are these containers microwave safe, but they are also made from number 5 BPA free plastic. Each to-go container can be redeemed with a token (2 will be provided per person). Once you've taken your meal to go and are done with the container, you will deposit it into one of the 3 drop off machines on campus, and a new token will be given to you to use on your next to-go order. Never wash or dump left over food to avoid pluming damage. All used containers can be put into the collection machines as-is. Our staff will collet them and take them to be sanitized and cleaned properly.

Please visit our FAQ page for common questions regarding this new program.

In Spring 2014, Denver Dining became a signatory of DU’s Real Food Challenge Commitment to purchase 20% local, fair, ecologically sound or humane food, what is called ‘Real Food’, by 2020. This commitment became a reality through the collaboration between DU’s Center for Sustainability, Students for Sustainable Food, Denver Dining by Sodexo and University of Denver’s Administration. In 2019, we achieved our goal and continue to make sure sustainable and local food sources are a primary focus for the campus.

We believe that Pioneers care about where their food comes and how it is prepared. The Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market is dedicated to preparing food you can feel good about, featuring responsibly sourced ingredients within our classic comfort foods to international dishes. Many of our responsibly sourced ingredients are classified as ‘real’ food that is local, fair, humane and/or ecologically sound. Continually increasing our use of ‘real’ food is part of our Real Food Challenge Commitment

Click here for more more information about the Real Food Challenge. To get involved with DU’s student run RFC chapter, message DU’s Student for Sustainable Food Group’s Facebook page.

We offer plant based vegan or vegetarian protein options at every dining location , reducing the environmental impact of serving meat.

100 % Recycled napkins

We use the Apex by EcoLab dishwashing system, which helps reduce water & packaging

We use 100% compostable consumer products throughout retail including coffee cups, lids, straws & to-go boxes We are working with the University to use 100% recycled consumer products throughout retail We utilize Tri-Bin parody waste bins, clearly labeled for Recycle, Compost & Landfill We banned polystyrene (Styrofoam) in our operations on campus We participate in pre-consumer composting at The Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market and the Ritchie Center

Our retail operations offer Fair Trade, Organic, Rain Forest Certified and bird friendly coffees throughout locations on campus by serving Aspretto Coffees & Numi Teas.

We currently purchase locally grown & produced foods from farmers throughout Colorado & include seasonal produce in dishes throughout the year. We purchase locally processed milk & dairy products Meadow Gold, which are antibiotic and rBGH/rBST free.