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Waste Minimization

The HokieBird reminding visitors to recycle. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.

The HokieBird reminding visitors to recycle. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech Dining Services is committed to minimizing our environmental impact through composting, recycling, and food diversion. 

Composting

Since 2009, Dining Services has sent more than 15 million pounds of food waste and biodegradable food packaging to Virginia composting facilities, where it’s converted to nutrient rich soils. The university is also in the planning phase of creating a composting facility on university property west of the Blacksburg campus.

Recycling

All of Dining Services’ venues, including the Southgate Food Center, recycle cardboard, plastics, paper, and aluminum cans. Color-coded signage is present in all facilities to help direct waste and recycling. To learn more, visit the Office of Sustainability recycling page.

Food Diversion

Through Dining Services’ partnership with Campus Kitchen, a student organization addressing food insecurity, almost 260,000 pounds of unserved meals has been sent to local food banks and nonprofits since the program started in 2015. Volunteers collect high-quality, unserved food and staples each week from the dining centers and deliver them to several food pantries, nonprofit senior centers, and the YMCA.

Polystyrene Free Dining

Virginia Tech no longer serves food or beverages in polystyrene containers after partnering in 2018 with our national franchises such as Chick-Fil-A and Dunkin’. We are continuously converting packaging to compostable materials across all dining centers.