Sustainability
SFU Food Sustainability Initiatives
Simon Fraser University is an institutional leader in pursuing ecological, social and economic sustainability through its operations, research, academics, campus, and community and global engagement. Our Food program is excited to drive intitiavtives that help move our community towards a more sustaiable future.
Re-use For Good
SFU is spearheading change with the launch of Re-use for Good Initiative. Re-use for Good is an SFU Zero-Waste initiative to implement and promote reusable alternatives to single-use plastics and products (SUPPs). In building infrastructure for reusable alternatives, Re-use for Good is reducing the quantity of SUPPs where possible across all dining locations.
Plastic Bottle Beverage Ban
In 2021 SFU worked with Ban the Bottle, a student-led initiative, Re-Use For Good, and campus partners to remove all single-use plastic bottled beverages at campus retail locations. You'll now find a selection of beverage options in cans and glass bottles from our campus vendors. Community members are also encouraged to bring a reusable bottle to fill with water from fountain stations across campus.
Local Food
We take our commitment to buying local seriously. An average of 30% - 40% of food procurement is currently local across Dining Services locations with a goal of reaching 50%. SFU Food is on a journey to celebrate local foods and to support local suppliers and businesses. We're proud of our B.C. foods and look forward to continuing to grow these opportunities for the future.
Plant-Forward Eating
Plant-forward means selecting more plant proteins in the foods we eat. Making the swap for plant protein in lieu of animal protein even occasionally can significantly reduce your environmental impact. SFU’s goal is to increase the number of plant-based menu items by 50% by the end of 2025. Check out SFU’s Strategic Sustainability Plan to find out more.
ChopValue
SFU partners with ChopValue to not only recycle but upcycle the used chopsticks from our dining locations—Mackenzie Café, Maggie Benston Food Court, Dining Commons, and the Student Union Building. ChopValue provides chopstick recycling bins, collects the recycling regularly and then transforms the once wasted materials into homeware, decor and office furniture.
Zero Waste Initiative
SFU Food is a proud contributor to the award-winning SFU Zero Waste Initiative which introduced standardized four-stream stations. Campus food vendors participate by separating waste into: food scraps and compostables, mixed paper, recyclables and landfill. SFU has implemented packaging standards for food vendors and caterers to eliminate non-recyclable / non-compostable packaging across campus.
Mugshare
Mugshare is a deposit-return program for reusable take-out mugs, designed to help SFU students and staff reduce the number of disposable coffee cups used on campus. Find the program running at Renaissance Coffee in the AQ.
Reusables Pilot Program
SFU Food partnered with a local company, Reusables, to pilot a reusable container program at the SFU Dining Hall. Students participated for free in the pilot and were able to use a stainless steel container rather than the typical single-use compostable container. Containers were used over 2000 times during the pilot.