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UMass Dining Sustainability Initiatives

UMass Dining Sustainability Initiatives

UMass Dining Sustainability Initiatives

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At UMass Dining, we're making climate-conscious dining simple and easy with our A-E Carbon Rating System. The Carbon Rating System, powered by My Emissions, calculates the kgCO2e (carbon emissions per kg of product) through a comprehensive life cycle assessment for every menu item. With our Climate-Conscious Dining initiative, we're making climate-smart choices more accessible, visible, and impactful than ever before. To learn more visit: Climate-Conscious Dining - UMass Dining Sustainability

Permaculture Initiative

The UMass Permaculture Initiative is a hands-on sustainability program that builds and cares for 5 edible gardens across the UMass Amherst campus, using ecological design principles to grow fresh, local, organic produce while engaging the community. Founded by students in 2010, the gardens serve as living classrooms where people can learn about sustainable food systems, leadership, and regenerative land stewardship. Participants can volunteer, take courses, attend the student farmers’ market, schedule tours, or attend events and workshops.

To learn more about the campus gardens, click HERE.
Help support current and future permaculture garden projects, educational programming, and community engagement. DONATE HERE

Permaculture Initiative

Local & Sustainable Procurement

UMass Dining puts purpose behind every ingredient by prioritizing local, regional, and ethically produced foods that are good for people, the planet, and the regional food system. It emphasizes sourcing ingredients from Massachusetts, the broader New England region, and within a 250-mile radius to support small farms, protect biodiversity, improve animal welfare, and ensure transparent, healthy food options in dining halls. Our sustainable purchasing follows the AASHE guidelines for qualifying sustainability standards and certifications. Our commitment to local and sustainable procurement helps strengthen resilient regional food systems and meets student demand for “real food” that aligns with environmental and social values.

Local & Sustainable Procurement

Climate Conscious Dining

UMass Dining is advancing climate action through an integrated approach that connects everyday dining choices with deeper education and engagement. Its Climate Conscious Dining program provides carbon ratings on menu items, empowering students to understand the environmental impact of their meals and choose lower-carbon options. Building on this transparency, the Dining for a Cooler Planet initiative brings the community together through themed events, special menus, and conversations that highlight climate-smart food solutions. Together, these efforts make sustainability visible, actionable, and rooted in the campus dining experience.

Carbon rating

Waste Reduction

UMass Dining prioritizes Waste Reduction as a core sustainability initiative, focusing on preventing waste before it starts and responsibly managing what remains. Guided by the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale, the program emphasizes source reduction first, followed by food donation and composting or anaerobic digestion. For other materials, Dining aligns with campus-wide efforts to Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - sending as little as possible to landfill. By promoting smart purchasing, efficient operations, and education around waste prevention, UMass Dining works to reduce its overall waste footprint and build a more sustainable campus food system.

Waste Reduction
Stay updated on our Sustainability Program & Initiatives by visiting: Home - UMass Dining Sustainability