SBU Eats, the dining service at Stony Brook University, has implemented a series of sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing waste and promoting environmentally responsible practices across campus. These efforts have contributed to the university receiving a STARS 3.0 Silver Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), an acknowledgment of its commitment to sustainable operations.
Diana Kubik, executive director of the Auxiliary Services Association, said, “Food connects us all, and by putting sustainability at the heart of campus dining, we’re helping students build lifelong habits that extend beyond their time at Stony Brook. We’re making sure that what we do every day creates a real impact by giving students the resources, knowledge, and inspiration to make planet-friendly choices every time they eat with us.”
One initiative includes micro-farms located at East Side Dining and West Side Dining. These facilities grow fresh greens, herbs, and edible flowers on-site for use in daily menus. This approach supports food transparency and environmental responsibility by incorporating hyper-local ingredients into meals served on campus.
SBU Eats also participates in the New York State Food Product Program. By sourcing locally grown and processed foods through this program, SBU Eats is able to provide fresher seasonal ingredients while supporting local farmers and producers.
To address food waste and insecurity, SBU Eats launched a food recovery program in partnership with CareIt in 2024. The initiative uses a mobile app to match surplus prepared food from campus dining with local nonprofit organizations for redistribution. So far, more than 4,000 pounds of surplus prepared food have been donated to community groups.
The dining service tracks its environmental impact using real-time dashboards that measure carbon emissions, water usage, and waste generated by its operations. This data helps inform menu planning decisions aimed at reducing emissions and encouraging environmentally friendly choices among students.
Menus now feature climate labeling based on standards set by the Plant Forward Collaboration. Dishes labeled as low-carbon contain no more than 1.9 kgCO₂e/kg per kilogram of ingredients with verified emissions data.
Efforts to reduce single-use packaging include providing complimentary reusable takeout containers to students on meal plans at major dining locations. The switch is expected to divert over 2.5 million single-use containers from landfills each year while reducing fossil fuel consumption associated with disposable plastics.
In addition to packaging changes, Roth Café and SAC Food Court offer eco-friendly takeout containers made from 40 percent natural materials produced through green manufacturing processes.
To further minimize kitchen waste, SBU Eats employs Waste Not 2.0—a chef-driven tracking tool that identifies sources of discarded food so culinary teams can adjust practices accordingly.
Finally, composting programs collect kitchen prep waste for off-site processing into organic material used as green energy or nutrient-rich compost products.
These combined actions are part of Stony Brook University’s broader strategy to promote sustainability throughout campus life.
