There are many ways you can be a part of ensuring the sustainability of campus dining. Check out a few tips below.
Purchase and use a reusable mug or cup.
- Gator Dining offers $0.25 off coffee purchases and $0.99 fountain beverages when you bring your own reusable cup.
- Did you know that on average, the typical American will throw away 4.5 lbs. of garbage every day? That’s 220 million tons of waste nation-wide per year!
- Make sure to recycle plastic, aluminum, and glass containers.
Use a reusable shopping bag instead of paper or plastic.
- While no one knows the exact amount of plastic bags consumed, worldwide estimates range in the trillions per year.
Taste don’t waste – take only what you know you will eat.
- Fresh Food Company & Gator Corner Dining Center are both all-you-care-to-eat facilities. While we would like you to enjoy as much food as you’d like, try to avoid taking too much at first. You can always make a second trip!
- Did you know every year America throws away $43 billion worth of food, equivalent to 96 billion lbs.? That’s 3,044 lbs. every second.
Eat locally
- There are many benefits to purchasing local produce, such as supporting local farming; cutting down on the miles food has to travel (thereby reducing fuel use and pollution); ensuring a safe, stable, local food supply; ensuring a fresher product; and eating in conjunction with the seasons.
- Look for the “Locally Grown” tags in our dining halls to identify locally-sourced items.
- Did you know most produce travels an average of 1,500 miles before being sold?
Support organic agriculture – make your dollar count.
- Look for organic snack and grocery items at all six convenience stores on campus.
Choose To Re-Use
- Check out a reusable to-go container when you take your food to-go. The program is free to all meal plan and declining balance customers. All you need is your Gator 1 card. Participating locations: Fresh Food Company and Gator Corner Dining Center
Join the Conversation
- Have a great sustainability idea? Submit it to us here.
Resources |
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| University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability | www.sustainable.ufl.edu |
| Gators for a Sustainable Campus | www.sustainablegators.org |
| Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences | www.ifas.ufl.edu |
| Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services | www.florida-agriculture.com |
| Solutions for your Life | solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu |