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Food

U Sustain is working to increase the environmentally-friendly food options on campus. Issues from fair trade, organic, and local foods to the use of biofuels and composting are being advanced as quickly as possible.

Ozone Café

Café Ozone is one of the most popular dining locations on campus. The café runs on Fridays from 12:00 - 1:30 PM in the Old Chapel and is supported by student volunteers associated with Environmental Club and Ozone House. Student volunteers work with dining services to provide, fresh, local, and organic entrees to the campus and local community.

The café is busy with a great environment - students, faculty, and staff often sit together for discussion, great food, and often live, local music.

See: Ozone Café for weekly menus.

O3 Marketplace

The O3 Marketplace offers salads, sandwiches, and soups from local and organic ingredients. The produce comes directly from local farmers, helping to support local business. The Marketplace makes fresh fruits, vegetables, and products such as honey and salad dressing available to students, faculty, and staff who may not be able to get to the co-op or farmer's market on a regular basis.

Composting

West College Dining Hall has installed a composting system (Earth Tub) that composts food waste generated within the dining facility. The goals of the composting system are to reduce waste sent to the landfill and to use the compost as an organic fertilizer for Union’s grounds - decreasing the use of energy intensive chemicals.

So, before you dump your tray take a moment to think about the positive impact you will have by composting and compost these items:
  • ALL food scraps, except bones
  • napkins
  • paper cups
  • wooden stir sticks

    Fair Trade

    Dining services now serves only fair trade coffee in its outlets. Fair trade helps assure that the farmers who grow the products get a fair price in exchange for great international coffee.

    Biofuels

    Dining services now recycles its waste oil for recycling into biofuels used in biodiesel vehicles. Hundreds of gallons of waste oil are now diverted from landfills to clean, closed loop fuels.

    Vegetarianism

    Did you know that the consumption of meat at Union is responsible for the emission of over 1400 metric tons of carbon per year? That accounts for over 5% of Union’s total carbon footprint! By reducing your intake of meat (even by just one-half), you are helping to reduce your carbon and ecological footprint, as well as that of the college.

    Did you know:
  • You would save more water by not eating a single pound of California beef than you would by not showering for an entire year.
  • Producing a single hamburger patty uses enough fuel to drive twenty miles.
  • An eight ounce steak requires requires enough grains to raise the cow to fill 45 people's bowls.

    Whole Foods

    Whole foods are those that do not contain added sugar, salt, fat, or chemicals; they are also foods that are unprocessed and unrefined before being consumed. Some examples include raw fruits and vegetables, unpolished grains, nuts, seeds, and sprouts, as well as unprocessed meat.

    By increasing your consumption of whole foods you will be healthier by avoiding mal-nutritious additives and you will reduce your footprint by decreasing the packaging and reprocessing of middlemen. Do your part by checking labels and reducing your consumption of repackaged and reprocessed foods!

    The Local and Organic Craze

    The packaging, preservation and transportation of food shipped great distances negatively effects both the quality of the produce and the environment. Buying local supports local agriculture and ensures a fresher product.
  • Dining Services is working with Ozone Café (every Friday from 11-1:30 in Old Chapel and Mrs. Perkin’s Garden) and O3 Marketplace in Reamer to supply students with an abundance of delicious local and organic food.
  • Starting this spring, Octopus’s Garden – Union’s organic, community garden run by students, faculty, and staff. Fifty percent of the produce will go to the Regional Food Bank and the other 50% will go towards Dining Services and individuals that helped maintain the garden over the summer.
  • If you’re looking to get off campus the Niskayuna Co-op, Honest Weight Foods in Albany, and the Farmer’s Market in Ballston Spa offer organic, healthy, local gourmet items at great prices!

    Water Bottles and Coffee Mugs

    Reusable water bottles and coffee mugs are available in the Union College Bookstore and their use greatly decreases waste and also saves you money! Use these items at Dutch or Starbucks/Freshens and you receive a discount on your drink purchase.

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    U Sustain seeks to promote sustainability initiatives and educate the campus community about ways to live, work, and enjoy Union in the most environmentally friendly and sustainable ways possible.

     

    Academics
    In an age of pressing environmental concerns, the government, businesses, and universities need graduates that understand basic environmental concerns and solutions. By incorporating environmental and sustainability education, we empower our students to participate in and strengthen our changing society.

    Recycling
    Everything we purchase, use, throw away, or recycle has an impact. U Sustain seeks to help you diminish or eliminate that impact as much as possible through recycling, reduction, and reuse.

    Energy
    Energy is an important component of sustainability and encompasses the electricity that keeps the lights on and the gas that keeps us warm in the blustery Schenectady winter. Knowledge about reducing our energy, and, in turn, our carbon footprint, can enable us all to make a difference.

    Food
    One way we can all make a difference is by being conscious of what we eat and how we eat it. U Sustain seeks to help us all lower our environmental impact by eating local and organic, buying fair trade, using less packaging, and making vegetarian options appealing.

    Transportation
    Union is a residential, walkable campus, but U Sustain is working on ways to help you get around Union and the greater Schenectady area comfortably, while keeping the environment in mind.