WKU News

WKU’s Fresh Food Company is the first restaurant in Bowling Green, and the first restaurant on a Kentucky college campus, to earn Green Restaurant Certification from the Green Restaurant Association.

Fresh Food Company, located in the Downing Student Union, earned 91.51 GreenPoints to become Level 1 Certified.

“We recycle, use absolutely no polystyrene foam products and have implemented many environmental-friendly steps to earn this certification,” WKU Director of Sustainability Leslie North said. “This demonstrates that WKU is being a leader in sustainability initiatives and in creating dining facilities on campus that are committed to serving food which is not only good for our faculty, staff and students, but also the environment in which we reside.”

WKU President Timothy C. Caboni joined North and others in celebrating the achievement Thursday by cutting a green ribbon in front of the restaurant.

President Caboni recognized a number of groups across campus that collaborated to achieve the certification, including Resource Conservation, Baker Arboretum, WKU Farm, Office of Sustainability, WKU Restaurant Group/Aramark and WKU Facilities Management.

“In addition, our students’ hands-on applied research in composting the food and other materials provide them with valuable opportunities to apply in the real world what they learn in the classroom—a hallmark of the WKU Experience,” he said.

That compost is used at the WKU Farm and Baker Arboretum.

North said the certification process covers areas such as using locally sourced food, using Energy Star appliances, offering education programs for staff to minimize waste in food preparation, using composting and recycling waste diversion practices, not using non-biodegradable polystyrene foam products, minimizing chemical use, pollution reduction and diversifying food options to meet a variety of cultural, dietary and religious needs.

Contact: Bob Skipper, (270) 745-4295