SLE Sustainability

In the Division of Student Life & Engagement (SLE), we strive to ensure MSU’s long-term sustainability through innovative and balanced strategies that support stewardship, fiscal responsibility, and partnership.

Throughout the academic year, the MSU Food Stores procurement team focuses on implementing Triple Bottom Line initiatives that reduce costs, limit waste and decrease energy consumption. In addition to promoting a high-quality supply chain, the department implements strategies to further improve outreach and education, helping students and team members advance their passion for social responsibility.

Culinary Services also continues to emphasize local sourcing, water conservation and energy efficiencies, and zero waste principles of reuse, reduction, and recycling in facilities.

This page is designed to share high-level information about sustainability efforts being made in the area of Culinary Services. For more details on programs at the university and divisional levels, see the pages below.

Reuse and Recycling Efforts

  • Pack Up, Pitch In
    Since 1996, MSU students have participated in Pack Up, Pitch In. Taking place during residence hall move-in and move-out, the program recycles unwanted items, including non-perishable food, to benefit local charities and those in need.
  • Community Kitchens
    Several residence halls and 1855 Place apartments on campus have community kitchens available to students and staff with nearby recycling. Additionally, the 1855 Place building which includes community, office, residential, and retail space has extensive recycling available for paper, metal, glass, and plastic as well as a composting bin. Learn more about community kitchens on the Live On website.
  • Reusable Bottles
    Water bottle filling stations are located throughout campus to encourage the community to fill reusable bottles as opposed to purchasing bottled water. See the map available online from MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) to locate water bottle filling stations: apps.gis.msu.edu/water-bottle-filling-station. You cannot refill containers in residential dining halls and retail locations.

 

Nutrition and Affordability

Affordable and Healthy Dining Options

  • Student dining plans provide an affordable option for Spartans to dine on campus while studying at MSU. On-campus students choose the Silver, Gold or Platinum dining plan. They pay one price for the semester and have unlimited access to all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Additionally, they receive 12 Combo-X-Change meals per week to use at retail locations and foodservice partners like Panera Bread and Subway.
     
  • Having unlimited access to all-you-care-to-eat dining halls allows students to come and go as they please, providing them with flexibility in their schedules and meal selections. Students can decide where they would like to go and what menu options they want to enjoy, which helps them make healthy choices.
     
  • In addition to rotating menu options, MSU offers an online tool called MSUtrition. Students and guests can filter by food allergies and dietary needs. They can also view detailed ingredients for what is being served in the dining halls.
     
  • If a student needs additional information or guidance, they can reach out to MSU’s Registered Dietitian for support. She can provide personalized support and is available to meet with students.

 

Off-campus Students

  • Students living off-campus have the option to purchase an unlimited dining plan (Silver, Gold or Platinum). Off-campus students can buy an unlimited plan over the phone by calling 517-355-2274. 
  • We also offer a Block Plan option, where meals can be purchased in quantities of 10. This plan offers students a discounted rate for meals purchased at on-campus dining locations. For more information, please visit our dining plan page. These meals may be purchased online.

 

Collecting food donation during move-outFood Donations

For more than 25 years, MSU has been donating food to the local community. Through various programs, we collect perishable and non-perishable foods throughout the year. Annually, around 100,000 pounds of food is put back into the community.

Perishables come from campus dining hall kitchens, Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, and programs offered during holidays, semester breaks, and move-out. They are provided to the MSU Student Food Bank as well as the Greater Lansing Food Bank, an area network that distributes to the local community.

Non-perishable food items are collected from retail locations for distribution to the MSU Student Food Bank and the Greater Lansing Food Bank, serving the broader community.

 

Local Sourcing and Foodservice Providers

  • Culinary Services is committed to sourcing food as locally as possible, working to strengthen our supply chain and focus on Triple Bottom Line initiatives (people, planet, and profit).
  • MSU considers its on-campus production capabilities before exploring off-campus options. We have an on-campus bakery, MSU Bakers. We have established strong partnerships with the MSU Student Organic Farm, Bailey GREENhouse and Urban Farm, MSU Dairy Store and MSU Meat Lab to reduce costs, minimize waste and decrease energy consumption.
     
    • The MSU Student Organic Farm (SOF) is now housed in the Division of Student Life & Engagement (SLE), providing the farm with a broader campus-wide platform for education and engagement. 
    • The 20-acre, certified organic year-round teaching and production farm offers an immersive, hands-on farming experience for undergraduate students, participants in the Organic Farmer Training Program and volunteers. 
    • The SOF also collaborates with MSU faculty to offer courses in organic farming, internships, interdisciplinary experiential educational activities and research opportunities.
       
  • If we're unable to source hyper-locally from on-campus, we look within the state and surrounding states. We have a wide variety of local and regional vendor partners to assist with sourcing as locally as possible.
  • The Sustainable Food Procurement Guide provides detailed information about our food sourcing, sustainability efforts and best practices and considerations in specific purchasing categories. Follow this link to access the interactive guide.
     
  • MSU is a fully engaged institution in environmental stewardship initiatives. It is expected that all business partners will support and practice the University’s vision. Below are common sustainability and environmental stewardship criteria that are applied to food service provider contracts.
     
    • MSU prefers firms whose business culture supports sustainable environmental practices. We evaluate the documentation of a firm’s sustainability initiatives and economic impact within the state of Michigan. 
    • MSU prefers firms whose business culture supports human rights initiatives. We evaluate the documentation of a firm’s human rights initiatives. 
    • MSU prefers environmentally sustainable products. When applicable, we evaluate a firm’s use and documentation of third-party certified products that are available.

 

Students volunteering for Clean Plates at StateOperations and Environmental Efficiencies

Food Waste Reduction

  • Closing the Food Loop
    Culinary Services employs many strategies to close the food loop and reduce food waste on campus.
     
    • Brody Hall is a LEED-certified building. The dining hall, Brody Square, utilizes a pulper to process post-consumer food waste, which features a grey water system that conserves water while reducing the volume of food waste. Additionally, they collect pre-consumer food waste for the vermicomposting farm. 
    • The Food Scrap Worm Composting (Vermicomposting) Project also enables us to return minerals and organic matter from food residue to farms and gardens, maintaining healthy soils and keeping tons of food scraps out of landfills. 
    • Materials are diverted to the MSU Student Organic Farm for composting, the south campus Anaerobic Digester to convert food and farm waste into energy used on campus, and Hammond Farms of mid-Michigan.
  • Tray-less Dining
    All dining halls on campus are trayless to reduce food waste and support the university's goal of diverting fewer materials to landfills. Removing trays reduces food waste and conserves water and energy used in cleaning them. In addition, studies at other universities have shown a 50% reduction in food waste by removing trays.

 

Human Nutrition and Foods EventAcademic Integration and Collaboration

SLE contributes to student success at MSU through integration with academic programs. Connecting with the academic curriculum provides students with hands-on experience and living-learning laboratories to enhance their engagement. Several examples are highlighted here.

  • Human Nutrition and Food (HNF) Courses
    We partner with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition to help educate Spartans and provide hands-on experiences that extend beyond the classroom. HNF students in the Food Service Management course plan and execute an event.
     
  • Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE)
    RISE is an interdisciplinary living-learning program focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship. This academic team has unique partnerships with several SLE units, including Culinary Services. Together with SLE collaborators, students are investigating ways to reduce food waste, decrease energy and water consumption, and minimize the amount of solid waste sent to landfills. See the RISE website for more information.

 
Eco Rep event at Brody HallOutreach and Engagement

SLE plays a crucial role in providing students with engagement opportunities that enhance their learning experience beyond the classroom. These co-curricular opportunities and learning experiences are recognized through the newly developed “My Spartan Story” program administered by the Registrar’s Office. 

Student Engagement

  • Eco Rep Program
    SLE offers a student Eco Rep Program to engage Spartans across the campus further. Interested students living on campus apply and are interviewed, with the goal of having reps throughout the 27 undergraduate residence halls. Once they are onboarded, Eco Reps coordinate and assist with sustainability events, educate others, implement practices within their building, and coordinate and monitor building recycling. For more information, email sustainability@rhs.msu.edu.
  • Registered Student Organizations
    Throughout the fall and spring semesters, SLE partners with student groups to support their efforts and events. One example is MSU’s student chapter of Slow Food, which hosts a variety of engagement opportunities, including cooking demonstrations, farm volunteering, and skill workshops. If you're interested in learning about the RSOs and are available to join, please visit the Student Life website.


Team Member Engagement

  • Eco Ambassador Program
    Selected ambassadors in the dining units serve as champions of sustainability in their area, identifying opportunities to reduce waste and costs as well as educate their teams. They receive a toolkit containing a wealth of resources to support their efforts, as well as a sticker to showcase their role.
  • Internship Program
    SLE developed a summer internship program to provide opportunities to full-time frontline team members, allowing them to gain experience in other areas of the division. Current internships focus on sustainability, project management, team supervision and more. Sustainability interns develop best practices, energy and material conservation, assessments, food waste programs, marketing and communications, and training.
  • Training
    Full-time and student team members in Culinary Services undergo training dedicated to sustainability, covering topics such as conservation, packaging and food waste. On a broader level, full-time SLE team members new to their role undergo Initiate State, a three-day training that includes sections on social responsibility and sustainability.

If you have any questions regarding our efforts, please contact SLE Sustainability at sustainability@rhs.msu.edu.