Carbon Footprint
Michigan Dining is committed to the university’s goal for decarbonization and the instillation of a university-wide culture of sustainability with justice as a core principle. A carbon footprint reduction is essential to a sustainable earth as the effects of anthropogenically induced climate change become more harmful, prominent, and wide-reaching. MDining aims to reduce the carbon footprint for all internal operations and shows a preference for vendors who minimize their carbon emissions in production and transportation.
- Initiatives for the Carbon Footprint page
- MDining joined the Forward Food pledge to shift dining hall menus toward more plant-based options and proteins and away from red meat.
- Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program and MDining collaborate to research reshaping consumers’ food choices in dining halls toward lower carbon footprint options from a psychological outlook. New menu icons launched in January 2023 to help guests navigate menu options by easily identifying items that have a low, medium, or high carbon footprint. To view more click here.
- Written into supplier contracts are the identification, reduction, and avoidance of air-freighted foods due to their high carbon footprint.
- A low-carbon menu is available for catering events.
- Sustainable Mondays: Every Monday our dining halls offer a more sustainable menu that focuses on plant-based proteins, poultry, and fish, and away from red meat. This shift has a huge impact on our carbon footprint, and we’ve seen the carbon footprint of our menus drop by as much as 60% on Mondays compared to other days of the week.
