You can find plant-based meals all over campus including black bean burgers at the Student Center Food Court, a vegan station at Connecticut Hall, and avocado toast at Dunkin’. Be on the lookout for this plant-based symbol  on the BiteU app and throughout Connecticut Hall.

Have you ever wondered where the food you leave on your plate in Conn Hall goes? We have been composting with Blue Earth Compost out of Hartford, CT since September 2017. 

Once Blue Earth picks the waste up, it goes to Quantum Biopower, where it’s processed using Anaerobic Digestion technology to create biogas and compost. Biogas is used as a source of renewable energy to create electricity for the facility and the community. The compost is generally sold and is used as a fertilizer for gardens and plants.

We’ve composted 79,000 lbs of waste with Blue Earth Compost since the start of the 2021 – 2022 academic year! The mitigated CO2 emissions are equivalent to:

Southern has been a part of the Food Recovery Network since 2017. Through this program, our dining services and the Office of Sustainability have saved over 6,670 lbs of food from the landfill and donated it to local non-profits since the start of the 2021 – 2022 academic year! 

Learn more about this program and how you can volunteer.

WasteWatch REUSE is our resident dining takeout program. This program is designed to provide students with convenient to-go options in Connecticut Hall, while upholding the campus commitment to sustainability and waste reduction.

HOW IT WORKS: 

1. Bring your reusable to go container with you to Connecticut Hall if you plan to take your meal to-go. You will not be allowed to take-out food without it! 

2. Let the cashier know that you’d like your meal to-go. 

3. The cashier will exchange your container for a new, cleaned and sanitized container.

4. Fill your container with your take-out meal and you are free to go! 

5. Rinse your container, bring it back with you the next time you wish to take your meal to-go and repeat the process! 

A $5 enrollment fee applies. Commuters, faculty & staff may also participate in this program. A $5 replacement fee will be charged for lost or damaged containers. If you have questions, please see a Campus Dining Manager or contact us via the feedback section of our website. 

The Office of Sustainability grows tomatoes, squash, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, herbs, peppers, beets, raspberries, wildflowers, and more! We’ll use some of the fresh crops on our menus, and every year, they donate hundreds of pounds of the garden's fruits, vegetables, and herbs to local soup kitchens.