OUR MISSION:
‍Our goal is to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfills by decreasing the amount of food waste, and the amount of single use compostable containers and dishware leaving the culinary centers.

Wellesley Fresh works very closely with the office of sustainability by doing everything we can to fulfill this mission and remain environmentally friendly.

COMPOSTING
‍Dining services partnered with the sustainability office in the fall of 2012. This program was very successful. In 2022, 140,112 lbs or 70 tons, were diverted from the waste stream. A full composting program campus wide isin place including pre and post-consumer waste. 

RECYCLING
Cardboard, plastic, paper and glass are recycled. 

RECYCLED OFFICE SUPPLIES
The paper and ink we purchase for use are recycled. 

RECYCLED COOKING OIL
All of the cooking oil we use on campus is recycled and converted to biodiesel fuel.

OZZI CONTAINER
Introduced in the fall of 2022, the reusable container program is an environmentally conscious program that allows students the convenience of getting food to go using a reusable container. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

REUSABLE UTENSILS
Wellesley Fresh provides reusable to go utensils for purchase at the Emporium.

CONDIMENT DISPENSERS
Dispensers are used to avoid individual condiment packet waste in culinary centers. 

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION
The culinary technique of "batch cooking", where frequent smaller quantities of food are prepared throughout the meal service, is in place to help reduce food waste. Wellesley Fresh worked with facilities to install One Card swipes to provide data to help reduce food waste.

TRAYLESS DINING
All of our culinary centers are trayless, which helps to reduce the amount of chemicals and water that are needed to wash the trays.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS
Annually, Dining Services sponsors events on campus highlighting local produce, seafood, products, and other sustainable items. In the spring on Earth Day a vendor fair is held. Farmers, fisherman, and local companies are featured on campus. They are able to show their products and answer students'questions.

LOCAL PURCHASING
Dining Services (through Wellesley Fresh) has an ongoing initiative to purchase items locally. Some of the current farms and local businesses from whom we are purchasing are: Highlawn Farms, Sid Wainer, UNFI, Uproot and New England Coffee, William & Company, La Marca, Hampton Farms, among many others.   

SUSTAINABLE MEAT
We are working towards reducing the fossil fuel by decreasing the amount of red meat purchased and consumed on campus. More plant based options have been introduced at all culinary centers, such as the vegan Deli located at Tower. In addition, Halal has been moved toTower. With Lulu serving the largest number of students daily, adding back pork and increasing plant based items into the rotation allowed for the opportunityto decrease red meat consumption as a whole in dining. We continue to adjust our menus to offer more plant based items.  

SUN COFFEE ROASTERS
By partnering with Sun Coffee Roasters, we can provide a highlevel of commitment to the environment and the farmers. Sun Coffee Roasters provides high quality coffee by supporting micro farmers and preserving the rainforests.  

CANE SUGAR CONVERSION
We converted over from granulated to cane sugar across campus and vegan granulated sugar in our bakery recipes. This is not only a less processed item, but the company we purchase from also uses sustainable practices. They produce their own electricity using the leftover cane fiber from processing as well as a sustainable irrigation system. 

RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD PURCHASING
All seafood purchased is either local or Marine Stewardship Council Certified.  

GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE CERTIFIED
One of the original higher education culinary programs currently in New England that have taken the lead with GMRI to ensure that seafood is being responsibly and sustainably harvested 

PURCHASING GUIDELINES - SUPPLIERS
As we procure products and services, suppliers are asked to carefully look for ways we can minimize our environmental impact.
Product reengineering to reduce packaging.
Different distribution points.
Reusable transportation containers.
Utilizing sustainable ingredients and methods.
Concentrated products to lessen manufacturing and transportation resources.
Working with transportation providers to minimize travel of products.
Providing options for purchase of organic and environmentallyfriendly products.
Providing solutions with recyclable packaging or content.
Providing our procurement managers with electronic files instead of hard-copy books for products.