Sustainability Initiatives
contributing to a responsible food system
Our dining team strives every day to create a responsible dining program. From working to minimize waste, supporting local partners with responsible sourcing, and creating green dining facilities, we are always looking for new ways to care for our world through a sustainable food system.
responsible sourcing
Brandeis Hospitality is proud to support Brandeis University’s commitment to Coolfood—an initiative aimed at reducing the climate impact of the food we serve.
In partnership with the World Resources Institute, we’re working to cut greenhouse gas emissions from food purchases by at least 25% by 2030. You’ll see Coolfood Meals badges on our menus, highlighting dishes that meet rigorous standards for low carbon impact—helping you make climate-friendly choices without sacrificing flavor.
Behind the scenes, our team tracks every food purchase and measures its environmental impact using the Coolfood Calculator. Every bite makes a difference—and together, we’re working toward a more sustainable future.
Brandeis Hospitality, we are dedicated to sourcing thoughtfully and minimizing our environmental footprint.
Whenever possible, we prioritize products free from antibiotics and added hormones, sourcing locally from over 40 trusted farms and producers across New England—including Bliss Creamery, Heiwa Tofu, Boston’s Best Coffee, LaMarca & Sons Bakery, and partners through Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Boston Food Hub. When local options aren’t available, we collaborate with reliable regional and national partners who share our commitment to quality and sustainability.
All the seafood we serve is Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, with 100% of our whitefish caught, grown, and processed right here in New England.
To further reduce waste, we’ve eliminated individually wrapped condiments at many locations and are expanding composting initiatives in support of our zero-waste goals.
We also prioritize organic products for their health and environmental benefits, featuring vendors like Tractor Organic Beverages, Village Harvest, and Heiwa Tofu.
Better choices for people, planet, and community—that’s the Brandeis Hospitality way.
Guided by the principles of Greener By Default, the Farm Table menu at Sherman Dining Hall emphasizes plant-forward eating—delicious, climate-friendly choices that are better for you and the planet. You’ll find these thoughtfully crafted options across all our dining locations.
Don’t miss thePlant Power at the Farm Table, where exclusively vegan, made from scratch recipes take center stage. Plus, our customizable menus at The Hive Culinary Studio make it easy to build meals rich in plants.
Choosing plant forward meals is one of the most impactful ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions and help us meet our climate goals—one flavorful bite at a time.
We’re committed to making sustainable choices every step of the way. That’s why we’re increasing our scratch cooking—crafting more items like salad dressings, salsas, soups, and burgers from the freshest ingredients.
We also encourage trayless dining, which helps reduce food waste, conserves water and energy, and lowers the use of cleaning chemicals, making a positive impact on the waste stream.
Plus, we recycle 100% of our used fryer oil through Restaurant Technologies, Inc., where it’s converted into biodiesel—turning kitchen waste into clean energy.
Together, these practices help us serve great food while protecting our planet.
To better promote sustainability awareness and promote climate friendly choices on campus and beyond, we developed Reknowable Resources. Engage with quick, interactive micro-lessons designed to teach you about the different ways we work toward a more sustainable future in our campus restaurants.
Brandeis Hospitality uses root-to-tip practices, batch cooking, and Leanpath technology to mitigate food waste as much as possible. However, there will still be times when too much food is produced. When this happens, excess food that can be safely recovered and redistributed will be donated to Spoonfuls, New England’s largest food recovery organization, dedicated to reducing food waste and combating food insecurity across Massachusetts.
100% of Brandeis Hospitality’s used fryer oil is recycled by Restaurant Technologies, Inc. to be used for biodiesel.
By dining trayless, you have helped positively impact the waste stream. Dining trayless minimizes food waste, conserves energy and water, and reduces the amount of cleaning chemicals entering the waste stream.
We are committed to supporting student food security through Swipe Out Hunger. Students with All Access Meal Plans are able to donate their unused guest swipes during Meal Swipe Donation Drives each semester, which are distributed to students experiencing hunger. Brandeis Hospitality provides a one-to-one match for every guest swipe donated.
We’re expanding composting efforts across campus to make dining more sustainable—one meal at a time.
Compost bins are now available at The Hive Culinary Studio in Upper Usdan, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Dunkin’, We Proudly Serve Starbucks, and Collective Catering. To reduce the environmental impact of to-go dining and catered events, we’re prioritizing the use of compostable containers and cutlery wherever possible.
At Collective Catering, we’re committed to hosting zero waste events, where at least 90% of all waste is diverted from landfills or incineration. And behind the scenes, even the coffee grounds at Einstein Bros., Dunkin’, and Starbucks are composted—because sustainability starts with the little things.
Together, we’re making strides toward a cleaner, greener campus.
We’re making it easier than ever to go green. In support of Brandeis’ commitment to waste reduction, we’re continuing our Choose to Reuse program at The Stein and The Hive Culinary Studio—including stations like Wok This Way, La Sabrosa, and Greens & Grains. Just grab a reusable container and enjoy your meal with less waste! You can also bring your own clean, reusable mug to Dunkin’ or Einstein Bros. Bagels and get your hot tea or hot/iced coffee for just $1.50 when ordering in person. Choose to Reuse. Save money. Support a greener campus.
To further divert as much waste as possible from landfills, individually wrapped disposable condiments will no longer be available at many of our locations.
Too Good To Go is the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, to help reduce food waste on campuses.
Through the Too Good To Go app, Brandeis Hospitality is reducing food waste by making sure that any surplus food can be enjoyed by the Brandeis community, at a great value! This important sustainability initiative kicked off at at Einstein Bros. Bagels in June 2025 and expanded to The Hoot Market this fall. Surplus food that has not been sold at Einsteins (such as salads, bagels, cookies, etc.) will be bagged and posted to the app for on-line purchase and in-store pick up. So far, more than 198 meals have been saved through this initiative!
Download the Too Good To Go app and check for availability to start saving Surprise Bags of delicious food while supporting sustainability at Brandeis!
New to campus this fall, guests will now have the opportunity to interact with Oscar Sort Recycling Assistants in the East Lobby of Usdan Student Center and in the Shapiro Campus Center. Oscar helps users to sort waste correctly, from food scraps to chip bags or soda cans to help reduce waste stream contamination and improve composting and recycling on campus.