Sustainability

One of the ways UC is working towards a sustainable dining program is through the initiation of a reusable to go box program. OZZI reduces waste through eliminating disposable products and replacing them with 100% reusable ones. The OZZI reusable containers eliminate the volume of paper products on campus.

Where Can I find OZZI?

• CenterCourt, OTG, and MarketPointe will only offer carry-out meals with the use of an OZZI reusable box.
• At Stadium View Cafe and Bearcats Cafe, students will have the option to choose between an OZZI box and a traditional disposable box.
• All meal plan students are enrolled in the OZZI carry-out program, with the first box included in their meal plan. If a reusable box is lost or not exchanged for a token, it is $5 to purchase an additional container.

In collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, Dining Services has developed a new set of animal welfare principles and purchasing commitments which include the purchase of cage-free only shell and liquid eggs, crate-free veal, and gestation crate-free pork.

A designated vegan entree is offered at each meal at Vegan Corner stations. The majority of other stations offer menu options prepared with ingredients selected by the diner, creating the opportunity to customize vegetarian and/or vegan versions.

UC has earned an A+ on the PETA report card due to our variety of vegetarian and vegan offerings.

University Dining Services purchases local, seasonal and responsibly raised, grown and sourced products whenever possible. 

For example:

• We serve 100% of milk we serve is hormone free.
• 100% of our beef and soy products meet our no deforestation policy.
• 100% of our palm oil is RSPO Certified.

UC purchases produce items that thrive in our region (apples, tomatoes, melon, squash, etc.) from a purveyor that deals with local farms. Approximately 65% of annual dining services purchases are sustainable food (e.g., local, and/or certified organic/cage free/humane and/or certified Fair Trade).

All seafood offered at UC is sourced sustainable in conjunction with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program.

UC practices trayless dining service to reduce food and water waste. This practice has been in place since 2008.

Food Services works with a company to manage all fryer oil in a closed system. This system has many benefits including employee safety and increased efficiencies. It’s also sustainable because the used oil is picked up and sent to a facility to be recycled into biodiesel.

All of our locations have waste tracking software installed in kitchens to manage food waste. Our kitchen associates can use the software to prevent pre-consumer waste and our students can make mindful choices to decrease post-consumer waste

On the Green, has a state of the art, self-operating composting system that takes food scraps directly from the dish return, sends it through a pulper and dehydrator, then turns the scraps into dry, usable soil, that our partner Go Zero picks up to use at parks in the Cincinnati area.