Chartwells Higher Ed to add climate labeling at dining halls this fall

Students will spot something new at dining halls managed by Chartwells Higher Ed this fall: labels on menus and digital signage rating the environmental impact of dishes offered.

The foodservice management company has teamed up with researcher How Good to debut the labels. How Good has collected data on the ecological impact of more than 33,000 ingredients, according to a press release.

"This partnership isn't only about meeting student demand for sustainability; it's about helping our partners meet their carbon reduction goals and finding ways to create a better planet, together," Lisa McEuen, CEO of Chartwells Higher Ed, said in the release. "We've been bolstering our sustainability efforts over the past year, by increasing our commitment to serving more plant-forward meals and expanding our usage of indoor hydroponic farms.”

Chartwells menu items will be rated based on eight factors, including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, soil health, working conditions and animal welfare.

UMass recently introduced its own climate-labeling efforts in campus eateries, becoming the first U.S. university to highlight the carbon impact of individual menu items.