Aramark’s green era

Portland State University’s primary food supplier has pledged to adopt new environmental programs in a move that could saddle students with higher food prices at some campus dining areas.

The higher education branch of Pennsylvania-based food supplier Aramark announced its intent last week to increase its sustainability practices at 600 campuses nationwide by 2010.

But it’s unclear how much that will elevate food prices at the three local Aramark dining areas: the Viking Food Court, Victor’s at the Ondine and the Meetro.

“While there will be some additional costs, we are striving to off-set these costs by focusing on waste reduction and responsible procurement in all of our facilities,” said Stephen Wadsworth, Aramark’s associate district manager at Portland State University, in an e-mail.

“We are committed to keeping our prices affordable to our community,” he added.

Among new programs expected to come to Aramark’s Portland State University dining areas are an energy and water conservation program, a move from 70 to 100 percent use of paper products made with recycled content and a minimum five percent per year increase of sustainable food offerings.

Company spokespersons did not say specifically what energy and water conversation efforts will come, but Wadsworth noted that Aramark will introduce new programs similar to Victor’s at the Ondine’s use of tray-less dining, which he said conserves water and chemicals for cleaning, promotes healthier eating habits and reduces over-consumption.

In addition to paper, other recycled products may be introduced, Wadsworth added, joining such devices as potato-based utensils in campus dining areas called “spudware.”

The additional sustainable food offerings will include produce grown locally and sold through local companies, such as the Pacific Coast Fruit and Charlie’s Produce.

Aramark already buys much of its produce for Portland State locally, including 10,000 pounds of food from farms in Oregon and Washington during the 2007-08 school year, Wadsworth said.

Portland State is largely ahead of the environmental curve compared to other schools served by Aramark. The university has instituted some of the new practices the company will introduce nationally next year in the sustainability effort it calls “Green Stakes,” including use of green cleaning products and recycling fryer oil waste.

Portland State’s Aramark dining areas use daily green cleaning and ware-washing products bought from Ecolab and send all fryer waste for conversion to biodiesel at Sequential Bio-Fuels in Salem.

Aramark has also partnered with the non-profit organization Clean Air-Cool Planet to create a calculator that will more accurately show the carbon footprint of foods served on campus by assessing environmental impacts of growing, producing, transporting and disposing of food, according to a press release.

“The issues of climate change, energy conservation and the over-utilization of natural resources continue to impact everyone,” said Chris Stemen, senior director of sustainability and environmental stewardship with Aramark Higher Education, in a press release.

“Through Green Stakes, our partnership with Clean Air–Cool Planet, and our environmental stewardship program, we hope to effect positive, sustainable change at all of our partner campuses nationwide.”