Sustainability - Cleveland State University

Our Priorities and Practices

When it comes to reducing our environmental impact, we’re focusing on addressing climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is our top priority. We place special emphasis on sourcing responsibly, operating efficiently, minimizing food waste, and reducing packaging.

Green Thread® represents our ongoing commitment to reducing our environmental impact through programs and practices that enrich and support the natural environment.

Through everyday actions, we bring innovative and efficient solutions to life. We are passionately focused on improving our own operations, while offering expertise and practical solutions; but we don't stop there. We measure our impact and hold ourselves accountable to continuously improve.

Be Green CLE State

Viking Food Co. is dedicated to creating a positive impact for our people and our planet. We proudly support Cleveland State University in their sustainability mission of working together to create a greener campus and a more sustainable future. Through our Be Well. Do Well. platform, we place special emphasis on Sourcing Sustainably, Operating Efficiently, Minimizing Food Waste and Embedding Circularity.

Be Well. Do. Well. represents our ongoing commitment to reducing our environmental impact through innovative and efficient programs and practices that enrich and support the natural environment and provide the student body with nourishing and diverse foods.

Source Responsibly

We purchase local, seasonal, and responsibly raised, grown, and sourced products whenever possible. We firmly believe responsible sourcing has a direct impact on people, animals, and the environment. We engage suppliers and partners to source environmentally and socially responsible products. We use only cage-free eggs, antibiotic-free and free-range chicken and pork products, along with hormone-free dairy products. Viking Food Co. also partners with the Monterey Bay Aquariums' Seafood Watch program to assure that all seafood served complies with strict sustainability requirements.

Some of our local vendors include:

Minimize Food Waste

We have several initiatives that we have implemented to reduce the amount of waste created in our dining hall. Viking Marketplace is a trayless dining location and encourages smaller portions for sit down diners who can freely enjoy a second helping if desired. Our back of house follows our Food Management Process that utilizes software that analyzes food data to predict dining trends. This allows us to better prepare the optimal servings of food, reducing our overall food waste.

Efficient Operations

We implement practices to conserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint. Fueled by the understanding that our day-to-day actions have an impact, we work closely with our clients to conserve energy and water. We also minimize our use of fossil fuels and emissions across our fleet of vehicles. 100% of our cooking oil gets recycled.

Reduce Disposables

We offer a sustainable to-go option through our Ozzi program that allows guest to enjoy Viking Marketplace on the go. Containers can be purchased for a one-time #5 refundable deposit at the Viking Marketplace. To learn more, visit the OZZI webpage. Cleveland State University offers several hydration stations throughout campus, as well as flavorful infused water in Viking Marketplace. Use the filtered water stations to refresh and refuel while helping to impact your carbon footprint.

Viking Food Co. has eliminated plastic bags in all our dining locations. We are also plastic straw free, with most locations offering compostable or marine biodegradable straws instead. Fresh Green Catering uses compostable products and are actively exploring new ways to reduce single-use plastics.