Sustainability - William Paterson University

We put our waste in the right place.

William Paterson Dining took the initiative to reduce waste by partnering with EcoRich, where we will compost our waste on site in Wayne Dining Hall. Global food loss and waste amount to between 30-40% of all food produced. By recycling our waste, we are essentially creating a more restored and sustainable environment. At the end of each week, we plan on donating the valuable compost (which will be nutrient-rich soil) to local farms in New Jersey and New York. William Paterson Dining is working hard to help our planet, and this is one step in the right direction to creating a more sustainable environment for the William Paterson University community.

Our Priorities and Practices

When it comes to reducing our environmental impact, we’re focusing on addressing climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is our top priority. We place special emphasis on sourcing responsibly, operating efficiently, minimizing food waste and reducing packaging.

Green Thread® represents our ongoing commitment to reducing our environmental impact through programs and practices that enrich and support the natural environment.

Through everyday actions, we bring innovative and efficient solutions to life. We are passionately focused on improving our own operations, while offering expertise and practical solutions. But we don't stop there. We measure our impact and hold ourselves accountable to continuously improve.

Source Responsibly

We purchase local, seasonal and responsibly raised, grown and sourced products whenever possible. We firmly believe responsible sourcing has a direct impact on people, animals, and the environment. We engage suppliers and partners to source environmentally and socially responsible products.

Minimize Food Waste

We reduce food waste across our operations with the dual goals of conserving resources and keeping food out of landfills. Our practices include back of house operational practices to reduce waste before it’s generated, programs to help consumers decrease food waste, feeding those in need during instances of excess safe, unserved food, and finally implementing composting programs wherever possible.

Operate Efficiently

We implement practices to conserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint. Fueled by the understanding that our day-to-day actions have an impact, we work closely with our clients to conserve energy and water. We also minimize our use of fossil fuels and emissions across our fleet of vehicles.

Reduce Packaging

We minimize our waste by reducing, reusing and recycling. Across our operations, we have established practices from initial purchase to final waste disposal that decrease the overall cost of waste both environmentally and financially. We place special emphasis on reducing single-use plastics – skipping straws and stirrers across our operations is just the beginning.

What We're Doing on Campus

We work together to continually develop and implement sustainable solutions.

What We're Doing on Campus

Our purpose is simple - to make a positive impact on people and planet. Our sustainability plan starts with people. People are at the center of everything we do and so we’re focused on equity and wellbeing of our employees and consumers, the people in the communities where we live and work, as well as the people in our supply chain. We also focus on the wellbeing of our planet by minimizing environmental impact across all of our operations, from the foods we serve and facilities we operate to the vehicles we drive. Learn about how our sustainability plan comes to life.