Sustainability in Georgetown’s Dining Services
Hoya Hospitality, which runs the Leo O’Donovan Dining Hall (“Leo’s”), along with several other dining locations on campus, strives to provide a sustainable dining experience. Throughout various initiatives, Hoya Hospitality maintains their pillar of sustainability by minimizing food waste, reducing consumption of resources, increasing sustainable foods, and reducing GU’s carbon footprint. These efforts will continue to be the focus moving forward.
Below is an overview of the major initiatives and progress to date.
Sustainably-Sourced Foods
Reducing carbon emissions, supporting our local food systems, and keeping food fresh are just a few outcomes of sourcing ingredients responsibly and locally. Georgetown dining is proud that at least 20% of our ingredients are grown, harvested, or produced within a 150-mile radius from campus, and 100% of coffee served on campus, including the Nitro Cold Brew machine at The Table, is sourced by Commonwealth Joe, a local coffee roaster located in Arlington, Virginia.
Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly
Hoya Hospitality continues to make significant strides in offering a diverse range of food options to cater to students’ dietary preferences. Vegans and Vegetarians can find many dining options at Georgetown.
Waste Reduction in Dining Locations
Waste reduction programs are no stranger to dining at Georgetown with various efforts from pre-consumer to post-consumer waste.
- Batch Cooking: To ensure peak flavor and minimize food waste, chefs cook in small batches for each meal period. Batch portions are reassessed 2-3 times during the day to accommodate the demand and improve future batch portions.
- OZZI Reusable To-Go Program: Hoya Hospitality encourages environmentally conscious habits while simultaneously reducing food waste with the OZZI Reusable To-Go Program. Students can take food to-go from The Table to not only reduce food waste but also eliminate potential waste from single-use to-go containers. Sign up for an OZZI Reusable container today!
- Compost Bins: Hoya Hospitality launched composting in Leo’s & Epicurean (Epi’s) in 2023. In 2024, 431.79 tons of organic food waste were collected from Leo’s, Epi’s, Catering, and events across the Hilltop campus. Composting is available at dining locations on the Capitol Campus.
- Partnership with GU Food Recovery Network: Georgetown Food Recovery Network (FRN), established in Spring 2023, tackles food insecurity and waste by recovering surplus food from campus dining and events. By redistributing surplus food from on-campus dining locations and events to areas of need on and off campus, FRN provides Georgetown students with the opportunity to reduce hunger in our local community and take action against climate change.
Water Conservation
- Automatic sink fixtures have been installed in all the bathrooms at Leo’s in order to save water and provide a more sanitary environment for employees and guests
- Since Spring 2008, Leo’s has been a trayless facility which significantly reduced water consumption used to sanitize the dish room (reduced water use by about 3 cups per avoided tray). Through trayless dining practices, Leo’s conserves about 145,000 gallons of water annually.
Chemical and Pollution Reduction
- Active Ion Cleaners: Dining at Georgetown utilizes an innovative “green” method of cleaning – Activelon Pro. This portable cleaning tool eliminates usage of chemicals by converting tap water into a powerful cleaner, while eliminating greater than 99.9% of harmful bacteria.
- Electric Vehicles: Since FY 2010, Hoya Hospitality updated the golf-carts within their fleet to electric, which led to improved air quality through reduced tailpipe emissions.