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Our dining teams bring a sustainability mindset to our campuses year-round, feeding communities with care while continually finding smarter ways to reduce waste. Earth Month is a chance to celebrate that ongoing work and spotlight everyday choices that make a difference across our locations, from what we prep to what we divert.
Closing the Loop with Vermicomposting at the University of Minnesota
The sustainability story continues after the plates are cleared at the University of Minnesota. The dining team is piloting vermicomposting, a student-led effort that uses worms to turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. The project brings together M Food Co., Waste Recovery Services, and the university’s Office of Sustainability, turning a behind-the-scenes process into something students can see and learn from on campus.
For students, it is more than a pilot. It is a chance to connect classroom learning to a real system they can help measure and improve, side by side with dining and campus partners.
The takeaway is simple: when scraps become compost, students play a tangle role in circular food systems where small actions after a meal can support healthier soil and a healthier planet.
Sustainability Meets Community at Baylor Eats
At Baylor University, Earth Month spotlighted practical choices that add up. Through Baylor Eats, the dining team focused on reducing food waste with Sic ‘Em Sampling, a simple tasting approach that lets students try a menu item before committing to a full portion.
When students sample first, they are more likely to choose something they will enjoy and finish, which helps prevent avoidable waste. It is a small shift that keeps plates cleaner and waste bins lighter.
Growing Upward: Rooftop Gardening at the University of Arkansas
At the University of Arkansas, sustainability is taking root above campus. This spring, a student-led rooftop garden is growing fresh produce that will be harvested and featured in campus meals, bringing the story from growing to serving full circle.
Using specialty Earth Box containers, the garden can produce more than twice the yield of a conventional garden while using less water, soil, and fertilizer. For students, it is a hands-on reminder that sustainability and innovation can thrive in unexpected spaces.
Learning Through Experience at George Mason University’s Wast-ED Event
Food waste took center stage at The Spot, George Mason University’s plant-based dining hall, during Wast-ED. The Speaker Spotlight conversation explored what food waste looks like in everyday life and why it matters on campus.
The event brought together dining and academic perspectives, featuring Chartwells’ Monalisa Prasad alongside George Mason faculty Kerri Lacharite, PhD, and Dr. Jennifer Sklarew. Together, they connected individual choices to the larger systems behind waste and shared a few realistic shifts students can try right away. The conversation wrapped with a Q&A and time for students to connect with campus partners.
Stop Food Waste Day: 10 Years of Turning Awareness into Action
This year marked the 10th anniversary of Stop Food Waste Day, and campuses across the U.S. celebrated with practical, student-facing ways to reduce waste. At Babson College, the dining team brought the idea to life through Waste Not Wednesdays, a weekly feature where the Babson dietitian partners with the culinary team to create dishes that use ingredients thoughtfully and help keep food out of the waste stream. Students learn what makes each selection a zero-waste choice through digital signage and callout cards, all woven into existing station themes. Sample dishes included veggie-loaded meatballs, roasted vegetable and mozzarella flatbread, broccoli Caesar salad, and banana loaf cake.
Earth Month may end, but the work will not. On campuses, sustainability shows up in the everyday choices we make, what we source, how we prep, what we save, and the conversations we keep having with students.
Results from first year of Chartwells Higher Education’s exclusive partnership with HowGood show positive correlations between climate labels on menus and sustainable choices.
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George Mason’s all-vegetarian dining hall creates a hub for zero-waste culinary innovation and student engagement
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Chartwells Higher Education, a recognized leader in contract food service management, has appointed Eva Wojtalewski as its new Chief Executive Officer. Wojtalewski brings nearly two decades of legal and business experience, guiding companies in areas like corporate development, growth initiatives, strategic acquisitions, and risk management.
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