Reducing emissions from campus dining and food services involves looking at every aspect of their existence: where are they housed and how are they run - and how does this impact energy consumption? What do they sell and how is it packaged - and how does this contribute to waste generation? What is done with the disposed-of food, packaging and implements - and how does it fit into the overall campus waste management scheme?

Some of the ways campuses have chosen to reduce all of the potential food services-related emissions referred to above include instituting recycling programs, composting, switching to local food suppliers, and purchasing products with minimal (or more environmentally-friendly) packaging.

Another note: food and dining services tend to be one of the most visible and consistently- visited elements of campus life. Because they are so ubiquitous, and because programs like recycling so often have an on-site, participatory component, the dining hall or on-campus coffee shop can provide a natural venue for outreach and education about the actions a campus is taking to address the threat of climate change, and why.