What is
sustainability?
There is no universally agreed definition on what sustainability means.
There are many different views on what it is and how it can be achieved. The
idea of sustainability stems from the concept of sustainable development which
became common language at the World's first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.
"Development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs."
The Sisters at IHM are all about sustainability and I am glad we are allowed the privilege to be
part of it. Have you thought about what you can do at your communities or even
at home to help with reducing our footprints? If not maybe we all should make a
pledge today to see what we can do to help!
Here at IHM
the Sisters pride themselves on sustainability. If your clients are interested in what Morrison can do to provide sustainability, see our list below - it may be what you are already doing or may give you some ideas.
- Menus are written based on seasonality and availability of regional fresh produce. When possible these are produced locally, using sustainable food and/or practices
- Milk is rBST-free; cage-free shell eggs are used
- Chicken, pork and turkey re purchased from sources with reduced antibiotic programs
- Seafood is purchased in accordance with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program to make the best possible seafood choices that are good for the oceans and ocean wildlife
- Trim Trax program is used to promote food-waste reduction in the kitchen during food preparation. The food from Trim Trax is utilized for composting
- Artificial trans fats are not used
- Coffee dispensing systems have been installed in all non-resident areas to reduce wastes
- China, not paper, is used wherever possible
- When paper is a must we use all Green ware products which are biodegradable products
- Disposables for employee dining have been eliminated and china is now used
- Earth Plus napkins, used in the Dining Room, are 100% recycled and bleach-free
- Coffee filters are made from 100% virgin pulp, are oxygen whitened, chlorine-free and naturally biodegradable
- Bigelow and Lipton tea paper filter bags are bleach-free and dioxin-free. 85% of the packaging is biodegradable or recyclable
- Pan liners are bleach free
- Phosphate-free products are purchased whenever possible
- Dining Services initiated a process that eliminated one plastic lid per tray, for a savings of more than $1,100/year and the reduction of 86,000 + non-recyclable plastic lids form the landfill annually
- Disposable lids for all residents bedside water glasses have been replaced with reusable lids
- Dining Services recycles cardboard, glass, plastic and cans
- Used grease is being taken to a licensed rendering plant in Detroit that makes soap, cosmetics, detergents, animal feed and biodiesel
- Soap dispensers are used to ensure proper dilution and control excel use
- APEX program monitors dishwashing operation to minimize our environmental footprint and increase efficiency
- New equipment purchased is Energy Star compliant
- Bottled water has been eliminated and portable water dispensers are now used for all catering events
- Line identifiers are in place to bring awareness to nutritional values at mealtime to promote healthy portion sizes and identify nutritional content of meals
- New floor cleaning machine uses ec-H2O technology to electrically convert water into an innovative cleaning solution that does not utilize chemicals
Cathy Campbell | Campus Director of Dining Services