Local Sustainable Initiatives

Reusable Cup Discount

The environment and your pocketbook win! Bring your own reusable cup to purchase coffee on campus and save 10 cents off every time in any location (excluding the Dining Commons). Purchase a Peet's Coffee & Tea tumbler from the Library Cafe, receive 20 cents off at all purchase.

Refillable Mug Discount

Composting

“Eden Garden Project,” a student group will begin collecting the Otter Bay Restaurant's food waste in mid October to begin composting on campus. Currently we are working with Waste Management on a composting pilot program for the Dining Commons. If you are a member of the University and are interested in joining our composting program, please email jenharris@csumb.edu .

Local Farms

We work hard to get as many ingredients locally as possible. Our professionally-trained chefs write our menus to take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally in season in the Central Coast. During the peak-growing season most of our produce is from local farmers. We are establishing a purchasing chain with ALBA organics, which will further strengthen our local support.

The Library Café, Otter Express, and Catering use local bakery Cypress Baking, located just a few miles off the campus, in Seaside CA. The Otter Bay uses local

supplier English Ales, located two miles from campus in the city of Marina.

Bio-mass packaging -natural based products

Bio-Mass Packaging is natural based products that are environmentally sustainable. All products, if composted, are biodegradable -SAY GOODBYE TO PLASTIC! 
Spudware utensils (To-go utensils) are just as strong as plastic. They're made of 80% potato starch and 20% soy, they also biodegrade in just 180 days! The best part of spudware? You can wash and reuse, so you can eat your potatoes with potatoes!

Plates, bowls, containers, cups, and straws are all made from a combination of paper, bagasse (Sugar resin pulp) and PLA (Ceraplast corn bi-product). All paper products for napkins, paper towels, utility napkins, and paper bags are dioxin free.

Currently, Campus Catering, Otter Bay , Otter Express, and Dining Commons all use Bio-Mass Packaging.

Xpress Nap Holders

XPressnap dispensers are another solution to reducing energy and waste. They save 30% in paper over traditional napkin dispensing mechanisms. The great thing about these dispensers is that they help the environment while helping to keep costs down.  The napkins are made of 100% recycled paper and the dispenser will encourage customers to take (and waste) less napkins. Energy is saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material.  According to Xpressnap, enough is saved through utilizing recycle napkins to power 600 American homes for an entire year! More than half a million gallons of oil was saved – 38 tanker trucks worth – and 41 tons of pollutants were kept out of the environment. 4,131 cubic yards of paper were diverted from landfill space. This is enough to cover an entire football field with a two and a half foot deep stack of paper.

Recycling: Recycling and Waste Minimization

Looking back at this journey is inspiring when you see the efforts of many and how the power of teamwork made a difference. We were once the student and now have become a leader and guide for other people, organizations and institutions abroad looking to leave a footprint behind. Help us make your tomorrow be what you want today.

• Recycling bins are located all throughout campus.
• Existing Practices include the recycling of 100% of recyclables
  Cardboard • Office paper • Plastics • Aluminum • Steel • Tin • Glass • Plastic wrap
• 60-70% of overall waste stream is diverted through recycling best practies

Biodiesel:  NON-HYDROGENATED COOKING OILS

All oils used on campus are non-hydrogenated fryer and cooking oils; it makes good vegetable fuel and is better for the body.

Recycling Waste - Vegetable Oil into Biodiesel

Salinas Tallow Company picks up all used vegetable oil on campus and 50% of that oil is recycled. Tallow is partnered with BIO EASI, a company that produces biodiesel for central and northern California.

APEX™ Dishwashing System

As part of its commitment to increase the sustainability of its operations, Dining Services uses Ecolab’s Apex™ dishwashing system. Apex combines technology and products designed to save water and energy, minimize the impact of products on the environment, and has a built-in method of measuring results. Apex uses a unique combination of detergents, rinse additives, equipment and consultative services to address the operational challenges in foodservice operations. The Apex management approach uses a tablet PC and wireless technology to communicate with the system’s controller to download, process and analyze data to establish each foodservice operation’s “rack-to-guest ratio.”

By monitoring and improving this ratio, the system helps reduce the amount of water and energy used at each facility, and improves total operational efficiency. All locations will receive the benefits of using less water, energy and labor, thus minimizing their operations’ overall impact on the environment. In addition, the Apex system further supports Dining Services’ sustainability initiatives with non-caustic chemistry and 95% less packaging material than current methods. Apex products come in a compact solid form that significantly reduces transportation shipments compared to bulkier liquid detergents.