Local food
Vegetarian Options
Trayless Cafeterias
Reusable flatware and mugs
Takeout boxes

Local food

Purchasing local food helps to support local farmers while decreasing the amount of energy that is used to transport food to your plate. Read more at Oberlin's social resonsibility page.

Vegetarian options

Did you know that becoming a vegetarian is better for reducing your carbon footprint than driving a hybrid car? Providing adequate options for vegetarians can have a big impact on reducing the college’s carbon footprint.

Trayless cafeterias

Removing trays from cafeterias encourages students to only take the food that they will eat rather than just filling up their tray. A nationwide study by Aramark found that taking away trays lowers food waste 25-30 percent. The Plain Dealer recently published an article about schools going trayless.

Reusable flatware and mugs

Reduce waste by using reusable plates and silverware rather than disposables. Encourage students, faculty, and staff to bring reusable coffee mugs to the campus coffee shop by offering a 10 percent discount for bringing a reusable container.

Takeout boxes

When it comes to takeout boxes, compostable containers are available. These containers cannot be composted in a regular compost pile, but rather an industrial composter. Campuses can purchase their own composter or send their compost to a facility such as Barnes Nursery. Oberlin College has a reusable takeout program.