
R&DE Stanford Food Institute Leads Research in Campus Dining Halls
Stanford’s dining halls are living laboratories for innovative research on reducing food waste and promoting sustainable, plant-forward diets in collaboration with faculty.

Stanford’s dining halls are living laboratories for innovative research on reducing food waste and promoting sustainable, plant-forward diets in collaboration with faculty.

After a three-year competitive bid process, Stanford awarded a new 10-year contract to Peninsula Sanitary Service, Inc. (PSSI), continuing an 80-year partnership to support the university’s zero waste goals.

Stanford’s new contract with PSSI introduces a fleet management system that uses cameras, sensors, and AI to improve safety, monitor contamination, and optimize waste diversion.

Stanford maximizes waste diversion by sending recyclables, compost, and construction materials to multiple advanced facilities.

Stanford decommissioned its automated recycling sorting line and donated it to a California company, repurposing the equipment to turn food byproducts into animal feed.

The newly established team brings together expertise on critical pieces of the puzzle to work towards zero waste goals.

Stanford is revolutionizing cleaning with its ozone-based Cardinal Clean system, reducing chemical use by 90% and preventing over 2,140 pounds of plastic waste annually.
All 14 buildings of the School of Medicine now have recycling bins in labs and compost collection in bathrooms, breakrooms, and kitchens.

Stanford received the Outstanding Waste Prevention Award from the California Resource Recovery Association for the innovative Cardinal Clean program.

Sustainable Stanford is reimagining the My Cardinal Green sustainability outreach incentive platform.