We work together to continually develop and implement sustainable solutions. Through Green Thread, our environmental sustainability platform, we bring innovative and efficient solutions to life. We are passionately focused on reducing the environmental impact within our operations.
Here are just a few ways we work to make our campus more environmentally conscious:
Our Partners
UK Dining cares about what you eat and where it comes from. We are proud to provide the UK campus with food and other products from around Kentucky.
Managing Sustainability
UK Dining has a full-time dedicated Sustainability Manager that works on initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of dining at the University of Kentucky.
Trayless Dining
By dining trayless, you have helped positively impact the waste stream. Dining trayless minimizes food waste, conserves energy and water, and reduces the amount of cleaning chemicals entering the waste stream.
Fryer Oil Recycling
The used fryer oil is given to an organization that turns it into biodiesel.
Donating Food
We are always working to reduce food waste. One of the main ways is our partnership with Campus Kitchens at University of Kentucky (CKUK) to repurpose food that was made and not served into food for hungry people on campus and in town. We are also the presenting sponsor at the Dare to Care Food Bank's Hunger Walk each year.
Recycling
UK Dining recycles at dining locations across campus. We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. Look for signs from UK Recycling in our locations for information on where to put your recyclables.
Local & In-State Purchasing
Did you know UK Dining purchases over $2 million annually of food from farmers, growers and distributors? Kentucky Proud, the state’s program to encourage purchases of food, is near and dear to our hearts as a land-grant university. The list changes throughout the year depending on seasonality and availability.
Funding Growth
UK Dining helps fund the Food Connection, which serves farmers, food producers, students and consumers through creative strategies for a vibrant, healthy, sustainable food economy.
Reusable Containers
UK Dining offers reusable to-go containers as an option for customers that want a meal to-go at Champions Kitchen and Fresh Food Company. Read more about why that makes a difference. At many campus coffee shops you can also purchase coffee mugs and cups to reuse.
