Pacific ranked in Top 10 globally for food/dining sustainability efforts

太平洋的可持续发展

Pacific is ranked among the top 10 in the world for its sustainable food and dining practices.

正规博彩十大网站 ranks in the Top 10 in the world for sustainable food and dining practices on college campuses, 根据一项新的研究.

The 2021 Sustainable Campus Index, published annually by the Association for the Advancement of 可持续性 in Higher Education, is based on hundreds of public and private universities in the United States and internationally self-reporting to the 可持续性 Tracking, 评估 & 评级系统. Pacific is the only university in California to make the Top 10.

“太平洋正在成为一个 national leader in sustainability,” said President Christopher Callahan. “Our food and dining program is just one of the many innovative ways we are working to create a campus environment for our students and community that incorporates sustainable practices into their everyday lives while preserving and protecting vital resources.”

Pacific’s long-time food service provider 祝你有个好胃口 has a strong farm-to-fork initiative. 新航Mohsenzadegan, food service director for 祝你有个好胃口 at Pacific, said 90% of produce served at the university comes from farms within 150 miles of the 斯托克顿校区. 

“这种情况非常罕见,杰西卡·比莱茨基说, 太平洋可持续发展总监, who said 祝你有个好胃口 and the university take advantage of its location. California’s Central Valley is one of the largest agricultural regions in the world, producing much of the country’s fruits, 蔬菜和坚果. 

Pacific even grows its own produce on campus at the 泰德和克里斯·罗伯花园.

In addition to produce, seafood is sustainably certified. 

所有多余的食物都捐赠给圣. Mary’s 餐厅 Room, a Stockton nonprofit that provides meals to people in need.  

To reduce waste, 祝你有个好胃口 made a major change four years ago. 

“Every knife, fork (and) to-go container we use is compostable,” Mohsenzadegan said.

The “Tiger To Go” program takes it a step further with reusable food containers available for purchase. 

“学生 can get their items in the containers. 每次他们使用的时候, 他们省钱, they save the landfill and they can bring them back and exchange them for clean ones,比勒茨基说.

Pacific was also recently included in The Princeton Review Guide to Green 大学. The university was selected based on The Princeton Review’s 2020–21 survey of administrators at 835 schools focusing on their sustainability practices and programs.

可持续性 is important for students choosing a college.

According to The Princeton Review, 78% of students surveyed in the company’s 2021 College Hopes and Worries Survey said a school’s commitment to the environment affects whether they apply or attend. That’s up 12% from the prior year. 

“It’s extremely important,” said first-year student Kenneth Caslib ’25. “I believe that we are really strong with sustainability” at Pacific.

One of the university’s major initiatives focusing on renewable energy is nearing completion.

A 太阳能电池板项目 being installed in partnership with Tesla will provide more than 30% of overall energy needs on campus once complete, second only to one other university in the country. Sixteen electric vehicle charging ports will be available as well.

To conserve water on its 斯托克顿校区, Pacific 使用100%非饮用水, not of drinking quality, for irrigation. Most of the water comes from the Calaveras River and is closely monitored with a computerized irrigation control system to reduce usage. 

An online surplus program also just launched to improve reuse efforts. The university’s online portal allows employees to post furniture and other office items they no longer need that other employees may claim. 

The university is always looking for new suggestions. 

学生, 教师, and staff with ideas for improving sustainability efforts around any of Pacific’s three campuses can apply for the university’s 可持续性 Project Investment Fund. Pacific established the fund in 2012 to support projects that reduce energy usage and waste, have measurable environmental benefits and support sustainability-related education and outreach. 

“We work with students to empower them to make some measurable changes,比勒茨基说. 

Previously funded projects include zero energy treadmills in Baun Fitness Center, water bottle refill stations and LED lighting upgrades.