Bates College certified for sustainability efforts

Aug. 12—Bates Dining, which in 2002 was the first foodservice operation in higher education to join the Green Restaurant Association, recently earned a third star for its Green Restaurant sustainability rating from the GRA.

The improved rating, the GRA’s second-highest, puts Bates into rarefied company. Only five other U.S. colleges or universities boast three-star ratings, and Bates is the only such Maine institution.

Long recognized for its sustainable practices, Bates implemented 65 action steps to become greener still and earn the third star. Those steps covered the waterfront in terms of both function and scope, ranging from the use of water-saving faucet aerators to the high proportion of vegan and vegetarian items in Bates’ food purchases.