Sustainability

Mass Impact is our commitment to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, our customers, and the communities in which we work and live to support the Massachusetts and New England regional economy through an increase in local purchasing.

Through Mass Impact we highlight local farms through our Harvest of the Month program, host farmer's markets on campus, and conduct educational events on local sourcing over the course of the academic year.

Agricultural products are local if it is:

• Exclusively grown or trapped in Massachusetts
• Derived from an animal that was raised for at least one-third of its life in Massachusetts (except milk)
• For milk, a majority was produced from Massachusetts animals
• Honey produced by Massachusetts colonies located exclusively in Massachusetts when all nectar was collected

Processed foods are local if:

• 50% or more of all product ingredients by volume (excluding water) are raw agricultural products that are local to Massachusetts and
• Either processed or the food manufacturer is headquartered in Massachusetts

Unique food products are local if two or more of the following are true:

• 50% or more of all ingredients by volume (excluding water) are raw agricultural products that are local to Massachusetts
• Substantial transformation of the ingredients in the product occurred in Massachusetts
• The headquarters of the company that manufactures the product is in Massachusetts

Food grown, raised, or harvested within the six New England states (+50 mile radius)

Agricultural products are regional if:

• Vendor of the product is a regional food business and 100% of the ingredients were grown, raised, or harvested on farms within the six New England stats plus 50 miles

Processed and Unique foods are regional if:

• Vendor of the product is a regional food business and at least 50% of the ingredients were grown, raised, or harvested on farms within the six New England states plus 50 miles (for example: broccoli soup, in which the broccoli and dairy were sourced regionally and equal 50% or more of the ingredients)

We are proud to partner with Commonwealth Kitchen, based in Dorchester, MA, to incorporate some of their Memebers' products into both our daily menu offers as well as sell their products for retail purchase. Their mission is "to transform the local food economy by strengthening capacity, creating connections, and unleashing the connective power of diverse entrepreneurs to start and grow successful food businesses.

"We challenge all parts of the food system to lead with and live their values-aligning their values with decision making, and harnessing their time, energy, resources, and investments to ensure racial, social, and economic justice."

Some of the Members we feature are:

• Meal Mantra: Small batch, all-natural dips, chutneys, and curry simmer sauces
• Off our Rocker: Sweet Potato, vegan, and gluten friendly cookies
• Pariva: Yogurt balls marinated in heart healthy oils and spices
• Hillside Harvest: Caribbean-American sauces and condiments
• Yamacu: West African fusion ginger drinks
• FreshZen Foods: Premium, plant-based, innovative twists to traditional Asian sauces

Sodexo is proud to sign on as a Northeast Organic Family Farm partner to support organic dairy farms in the Northeast and to help secure the future of organic dairy. We’re committed to purchasing organic dairy products from brands that source their milk from our region.

To learn about our commitment and the partnership, please visit www.saveorganicfamilyfarms.org.

To reduce the use of single-use containers, we are pleased to offer reusable to-go containers for use at Beatty Dining Commons, in the event your schedule won't allow you to dine-in. Please visit our Meal Plan FAQ page for more details on the program.

Our kitchens use WasteWatch powered by Leanpath systems. This allows our culinary teams to monitor and track our food waste while we prepare your meals. By using Leanpath, we are able to easily identify causes of food waste in real-time and make necessary adjustments to hour procedures to help combat food waste.

• Recycling and composting of both pre- and post-consumer waste
• 100% recycled paper napkins in Xprss Nap Dispensers to encourage guests to take few napkins
• Reusable dishware in Beatty Dining Commons
• Bulk condiments
• On/Off protocols for our equipment
• Energy Star appliances
• Zero emissions Einstein Bros. Bagel Mobile Cart