WKU News

WKU’s ongoing commitment to sustainability is continuing to impact every aspect of student life. WKU’s Amy Bingham shows us all the ways the WKU Restaurant Group has found to reduce, reuse and recycle in this week’s View from the Hill.

In 2019, WKU became the first university in Kentucky to host even one green certified restaurant. Now that number has jumped to three. But what exactly had to be done to achieve this type of recognition?

There’s a reason Fresh Food Company in DSU is a trayless operation.

“We don’t give patrons a tray because then everyone of those trays that someone touches has to be washed.”

Post and pre consumer waste has been collected and composted for the WKU Farm and Baker Arboretum for the last several years.

“We really are full life cycle from the food production to the waste to back to food production.”

Now two other dining facilities, Chick-fil-A and Hilltopper Hub, have joined Fresh Food as green certified restaurants.

“The only university that has any in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and we have three.  So from my perspective I think it really goes to speak to the level of commitment that we have for trying to incorporate sustainability.”

These green containers at Hilltopper Hub are the latest sustainable effort for people wishing to take their food with them.

“Because it’s also located within a dorm, we were able to implement reusable to go containers.  They can take that container, fill it up, take it up to dorms and whenever they’re done they bring them back downstairs.”

Students are excited about the tangible and tasty ways WKU has found to reduce its carbon footprint

“Gen Z I think they’re more and more conscious of the earth and the environment. I think this is one step closer to connecting with the student body. I think they are really happy about this.”

“Making of a chicken sandwich we have managed to turn this into an applied opportunity for learning and for achieving sustainable goals.”

North says Hilltopper Hub is a test bed for the to go containers and it may be implemented in other dining locations in the future.

WKU’s Chick-fil-A is only the second green certified restaurant out of the franchise’s 2,700 locations.