Sustainability

Campus Initiatives

Your Sodexo Campus Dining Team is dedicated to sustainability. We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at SUNY Oneonta. In addition to the many initiatives we take on as a company, we have implemented the following programs specific to SUNY Oneonta.

Local Suppliers

SUNY Oneonta is the proud recipient of the 2016 Environmental Champion Award from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Champion Award is the highest recognition presented to the public by the EPA. Sodexo is committed to supporting local community development and sourcing local, seasonal and sustainably grown or raised products. We proudly purchase products from over 1400 local farms to feed students and guests in the same state or region.

A Better Tomorrow

As a guest, it is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine at a Sodexo café. We know today's college students want to do the right thing for the planet and we also understand you lead busy lives, so your Sodexo chefs and managers do a lot of the work for you behind the scenes! From purchasing local seasonal produce whenever possible to reducing inorganic and organic waste, your campus team is dedicated to providing you with an exceptional dining experience that is good for you and good for the planet. This commitment was formalized with Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan. The Better Tomorrow Plan includes 18 commitments for a brighter future by focusing on four key priorities: health, planet, community and our people. Learn more about the Better Tomorrow Commitments. While your Sodexo team works hard behind the scenes, they also count on student engagement and enthusiasm to spread the word about what you're doing together on your campus. We encourage you to work with your local Sodexo management team to continue to innovate and improve sustainability efforts in your community.

Red's Best

Red's Best is a Boston Based Seafood wholesaler. Fisherman catch the fish on Wednesday's and send the fish right to Mills Dining Hall on ice. Fillets are served Thursdays and Fridays. The fish are delivered with an RSS code that can be scanned with any smart phone. The code provides the exact location the fish was caught, the fisherman who caught it and what species of fish the fillet is. The program has been an exciting addition to Mills Dining Hall providing local and sustainable meals. Red's Best is served Thursday for lunch and Fridays for lunch and Dinner.

Seasons Cafe

Seasons Cafe is a custom restaurant focusing on local products whenever possible to support our farms and community. Seasons serves Stagecoach Coffee from Cooperstown and Divinitea organic loose leaf hot and iced teas from Schenectady. Be sure to try the Red Dragon- an organic blend made just for us! In the mood for some greek yogurt? We feature a Greek yogurt bar with both sweet and savory creations, or you can build your own. The menu changes seasonally so come in often to see what's new and delicious.

Farm Fresh Station

The Farm Fresh Station in Mills Hall is an incredible opportunity for students to taste local food and be educated about the farms within the region. This is one of the many sustainability programs Sodexo has initiated on campus including a food waste to pig farm program, a composting program, a food waste scale and education program, a trayless dining program and a farm to table retail venue.

Waste Demonstrations

Throughout the year, Sodexo interns set up waste demonstrations as part of the "Weigh the Waste" initiative. This is a Sodexo initiative in which colleges across the country are weighing their post-consumer food waste to raise awareness about the amount of food that gets thrown out after it reaches your plate. There are numerous consequences to wasting food, from the wasted energy that was used to produce it, to the extra space it will take up in landfills that are quickly reaching capacity. But most importantly, this is food that could be used to feed people who are hungry.