Foulkeways Green Dining Service

Going Green in Dining Service | Foulkeways at Gwynedd

For the last several years, Foulkeways has prioritized incorporating green and sustainability practices in our senior living dining services. These initiatives include the use of energy-efficient appliances, composting programs to reduce food waste, and durable dishware instead of disposables, plus single-use packaging such as compostable and reusable containers to minimize landfill waste. 

In addition, Foulkeways is collecting coffee grounds for composting and using washable placemats instead of table linens are further steps taken to promote sustainability. These efforts not only support environmental conservation but also create a healthier, more sustainable dining experience for residents.

Our Kitchens and Dining Rooms

• Main Kitchen Renovation
  • Energy-saving dishwashing machine
  • HVAC systems, hood exhaust, and room insulation to maximize efficient use of room air temperature control

• Composting 
  • Partnered with Back to Earth Composting to divert pre-consumer vegetable and fruit scraps from meal production, diverting nearly a ton of food waste from landfills each month.

• Durable Dishware Instead of Disposables 
  • Over 80% of meals are served using permanent china, glassware, and stainless flatware, reducing reliance on disposables.

• Alternatives to Single-Use Meal Packaging – Used specific products depending on need:
  • Compostable meal containers are used when possible, diverting waste to our composting partner and eliminating over 1,000 Styrofoam containers each month.
  • Reusable, high-quality plastic meal containers, in use since 2021, are washed and reused daily, preventing more than 250,000 single-use containers from reaching landfills.
  • Meal containers made from plant-based renewable materials have replaced petroleum-based products where possible since 2012.

• Coffee Grounds for Sustainability 
  • Coffee grounds are collected for composting, reducing landfill waste and being repurposed as fertilizer for gardening on the Foulkeways campus.

• Washable Placemats over Table Linens
  • The use of washable placemats over table linens significantly reduces laundry, minimizing the environmental impact of cleaning hundreds of pounds of linens.

These ongoing sustainability initiatives reflect Foulkeways’ commitment to environmental stewardship and a greener future for senior living communities.

Foulkeways Green and Sustainability Initiatives