Sustainability

Our Initiatives

University of NC Pembroke Dining has several program initiatives that support sustainability

UNCP Local Partnerships

UNCP Pembroke is a Sodexo account with whom FreshPoint Raleigh has built an ever-strengthening relationship around local produce. In 2016, UNCP was named a collaborator of the UFOODS project. This two-year program aimed to increase local food entering university campuses in North Carolina. UNCP was one of the six target universities of the project. FreshPoint Raleigh has built a strong local program with 40+ local artisans and GAP-certified farmers. We work with the farmers to plan crops and availability, as well as educate new farmers on harvesting, grading, and packaging. We provide marketing for the farms and assist chefs in planning menus that incorporate local harvests. UNCP General Manager Glenn Reynolds took advantage of FreshPoint Raleigh's local program, and he has propelled UNCP to be the leading procurer of local foods amount the UFOODS schools.

UFoods

UFoods (University Food System) was a two-year, USDA-funded research and extension initiative designed to develop market opportunities for farmers by building collaborative supply chain links from farms to university campuses in North Carolina.

Local Suppliers

We work closely with local produce distributors to maximize the fruits and vegetables purchased from local farms. We also purchase from local dairies, and participate in farm to school initiatives. Tracking local purchases helps us to meet our Better Tomorrow Plan commitment of 20% local purchase by 2020.

Trayless

Customers without trays typically waste less food and beverages. It is also a healthier approach to eating, as we all know that at times our eyes are bigger than our stomach. Trayless dining also reduces the amount of water and detergents needed to wash trays - and saves energy too!

Xprss Nap

The napkins are made of 100% recycled paper and the dispenser will encourage customers to take (and waste) fewer napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material.

Composting

Food waste in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21x more potent than CO2. (www.epa.gov) Our first priority is to reduce food waste. We compost food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also enhance and amend soil health by improving soil structure, enhancing micro-organism content, increasing drought tolerance, and reducing the need for water and fertilizers. We collect pre and post-consumer food waste to create compost to be used across campus. Please reach out to us for ways to get involved in these initiatives.