Dining Sustainability at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research

You can’t spend a day on Ithaca College’s campus without hearing about sustainability.  Sustainability is a way of living that guarantees that future generations will have every opportunity and resource that we do.  It encompasses all areas, which makes a college campus the perfect place to engender these qualities, especially in students. Ithaca College regularly strides to reduce waste, energy and resources and promote a healthy sustainable lifestyle. We encourage faculty, staff, students and visitors to be conscious the environmental and economic impact their decisions may have. Ithaca College was awarded the Campus Sustainability Leadership Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in 2008.  We feel that NCUR is a perfect opportunity to spread our sustainable philosophy with our guests. The leaflet in the NCUR program describes all of the sustainable aspects of NCUR. 

Ithaca Dining Services will provide a zero-waste food service - as everything served will be compostable or recyclable. We will also provide nutritional information and encourage guests minimize waste by taking only what will be consumed. Also, the “You’ve Been Spotted” program will encourage 300 students and guests to win free coffee or tea, if spotted with a reusable mug at the conference. During meals at NCUR, sustainability interns will be available to discuss sustainability initiatives in the Hill Center Lobby. Also, NCUR attendees will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a gift bag made from water bottles.

The winner of the raffle will receive:

• Gym bag made from recycled water bottles
• Eco-friendly kitchen set constructed of bamboo that includes a serving spoon, strainer spoon and spatula
• Ceramic mug and spoon set
• Ceramic on-the-go mug
• Eco friendly T-shirt
• Two bulb crank flashlight with hand crank to charge lights. Slide switch on/off. LED bulb, no batteries needed. Made from recycled materials
• Grow your own basil plant with a recyclable tin potter. Just add water!
• Acrylic Tumbler with Straw. This is BPA-free, featuring doublewall construction and an acrylic straw. The lid screws on to keep your tumbler secure. This is a great container for iced-coffee.
• Reusable shopping bag made from recycled materials 

We look forward to sharing all the Ithaca Dining Services is doing to become more sustainable. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at ecodining@ithaca.edu