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Local Sustainable Initiatives

Your Sodexo Campus Dining Team is dedicated to sustainability.  We know we can all work together to make a positive impact right here at Southern Maine Community College.  In addition to the many initiatives we take on as a company, we have implemented the following programs specific to SMCC .

Composting

This year we began composting our coffee grounds and pre-consumer food waste and provide the compost to students from a SMCC horticulture class.  We place our waste outside in composting bins that were provided by the College and the students come on a regular basis to acquire the compost.

Buy Local

Oakhurst is currently a leader in environmental sustainability in the state of Maine.  Through its innovative energy programs and conservation efforts, the company has dramatically reduced its carbon and environmental footprint.  Oakhurst is currently investing in solar energy at their Waterville distribution center, making it one of the largest solar installations in the state of Maine.  In 2009 they purchased a hybrid delivery truck, which was the first of its kind for the dairy industry. Their delivery fleet use environmentally friendly refrigerants and truck skirts which significantly increase aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.

Another local company used by Sodexo at SMCC is Native Maine Produce.  In an effort to provide as much local seasonal products as possible, we depend heavily on the fruits and vegetables we receive from our Westbrook supplier.  In the winter Native Maine supplies locally grown apples, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, winter squash, turnips and greenhouse tomatoes.  Come spring crops of local asparagus, herbs, lettuce, parsnips and rhubarb are available.  And when school begins in the fall we can put plenty of locally grown blueberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, chard, corn, cranberries, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkin, plums, and rutabaga on our menu. 

The following is a list of local companies Native Maine is currently purchasing from:

Our prime product supplier is Northcenter, out of Augusta. 

They provide us with our locally Maine produced Gifford’s Ice Cream for the dining hall, Poland Spring water for the café and catering, and Wyman’s blueberries for pancakes and baked goods.  They also deliver to us products manufactured throughout New England, such as Yoplait Yogurt, Piantedosi Bread, Kens’s salad dressing and Sparrow baking supplies all from Massachusetts. 

In July of 2010 the dining hall switched our coffee to Aspretto, a brand developed by Sodexo, a Fair Trade product which has specific connections and traceability back to the farmers who grow the beans. 

Aspretto is purchased from farmers who are organized into co-operatives, giving them access to buyers who will pay a fair price as part of the Fair Trade standard.  This helps farmers and agricultural workers meet basic needs, including good nutrition, education and preserving small farms.  Aspretto is a premium coffee that is our answer to the market’s demand for a sustainable, “green” product.  Everything that touches the product is green, including the cups made from recycled paper and printed on with vegetable inks. 

For cleaning supplies we depend on Ecolab to provide us a line of environmentally superior set of dishwashing products and supporting systems. 

The Apex program uses 95% less packaging material than comparable products and reduces the consumption of natural resources and lowers the impact on the environment.  The equipment reduces rack counts to lower water and energy consumption.  The detergents and rinse additives come in compact solid form that significantly reduces transportation shipments compared to bulkier liquid detergents. 

There are also a number of little initiates we use each day that add up to making our world a little “greener”.

• We recycle our printer toner cartridges
• Recycle glass, aluminum, plastic and cardboard generated from the kitchen.
• We have napkin dispensers on our tables, which leads to customers more than likely only using the napkins they need.
• Utilize daily production sheets to minimize over-prepping and unnecessary waste.
• Our employees use permanent-ware mugs for their drinks.
• Have rubber mats in the dishwashing station to reduce possible china breakage.

Local Farms

We work hard to get as many ingredients locally as possible. Our professionally-trained chefs write our menus to take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally in season.

Biodiesel

We have partnered with Maine Standard Biofuels this semester to recycle our used vegetable oil and convert it as a “green” renewable fuel.  This locally owned and operated company provides us with clean and green storage containers, collects our oil, and then donates $.05 for every gallon we use to local charities such as Habitat for Humanity and Environment Maine.  Maine Standard Biofuels currently provides the fuel Oakhurst uses to run their 130 biodiesel fleet.  So we are providing the oil used to have our milk delivered to us.