The purpose of the Food Focus program is to reduce waste produced in campus eateries such as the Dining Commons and the Coffee House. The goal is to both reduce the waste and recycle what is used by both increasing reliance on reusable materials and implementing compost bins. The R4 Recycling program works alongside the Coffeehouse manager and Sodexo retail dining, catering, and residence hall dining to achieve this goal.

Achievements

2007-2008

• All 3 Sodexo Dining Commons are using compost bins and striving towards Zero Waste.
• A Recyclemania competition was established between the stations in the Tercero Dining Commons.

• Sodexo lent the Coffee House 200 plastic trays for a pilot tray program to replace disposable trays. This pilot was a success and now the Coffee House uses only reusable trays.
• Sodexo purchased 200 reusable canvas bags for a pilot reusable bag program in the Dining Commons and Junctions.
• Reusables utensils replaced disposable ones in the late night dining in the Tercero Dining Commons.
• We started composting all of Tercero DC’s paper, food and cardboard items, the first DC to do so.

• Spot-A-Mug started as an attempt to encourage the use of reusable mugs around campus. The program has continued since.

Collaborators

People that R4 collaborates with for Food Focus include:

• Brennan Connolly, GM Dining Services for Sodexho
• Gina Rios, GM Retail Operations for Sodexho
• Richard Kossack, Retail Operations for the Silo for Sodexho
• James Boushka, Sodexho Marketing Director for Sodexho
• Sharon Coulson, Director of the Coffeehouse

For more information, contact the R4 Recycling Program at 752-7456, or contact Jonathan Feinberg at jhfeinberg@ucdavis.edu.