Georgia Tech Dining Services Receives $5,000 Grant From the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability

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The Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS) announced that it has awarded a $5,000 grant to Georgia Tech Dining Services (Sodexo) in recognition of its comprehensive, cost-neutral approach to foodservice sustainability. This marks the fourth year for the annual HCFS grant.

Sodexo, a provider of integrated food and facilities management services, is working with Georgia Tech to make the university a leader in campus food sustainability. Georgia Tech Dining Services (Sodexo) was selected for the grant from among numerous entrants nationwide, which included K-12 schools, higher educational institutions, restaurants, and healthcare and hospitality facilities.

"The quality of entries in terms of innovation and best practices in sustainability was extremely impressive," said Rick Cartwright, vice president, ITW Food Equipment Group and HCFS Fellow. "The entry from Georgia Tech stood out due to the comprehensive, coordinated nature of its sustainability programs that provide significant environmental impact and cost savings while remaining cost-neutral." 

Georgia Tech Dining Services (Sodexo) sustainability programs include energy- and water-saving initiatives, intensive composting and recycling, and the introduction of more local and organic produce. Over the next five years, these programs are expected to generate a cost saving of $807,200, and help achieve aggressive goals of 26 percent energy-usage reduction and zero waste by August 2015.

Georgia Tech Dining Services (Sodexo) sustainability coordinator Nell Fry and district marketing manager Dori Martin will serve as HCFS Fellows for 2011. In this role, they will assist in selecting next year's HCFS grant recipient.

"We are beyond honored," said Martin. "Nell is changing the dining services paradigm by proving that we can be both green and profitable."

To learn more about the Georgia Tech Dining Services (Sodexo) sustainability program, click here to view the full-length case study.

About Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability
The Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS) provides thought leadership and counsel for the foodservice industry's drive for sustainable design and execution. The HCFS serves as a forum for foodservice directors, and their builders, designers and contractors to share case studies of their new ideas and accomplishments in foodservice sustainability. The leadership of the HCFS consists of Fellows from throughout the foodservice industry who have established their expertise and experience in the industry's move toward sustainable design. The Fellows include Michael Berning, director of sustainable design and principal, Heapy Engineering; Rick Cartwright, vice president and general manager of retail systems, ITW Food Equipment Group; John Turenne, founder and president of Sustainable Food Systems; Richard Young, senior engineer/director of education, Food Service Technology Center; and Christine Schwarz, director of dining services, Bates College.

To promote new thinking in sustainable design, the HCFS has established a $5,000 grant for the most innovative and impactful new concept and execution of a sustainable design project. Read more information about the HCFS.

About Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. is a leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation, an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $13 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog.