KU Dining announces sustainability initiative for spring 2026 semester
LAWRENCE — Starting in January 2026, KU Dining will introduce Better Earth bamboo fiber cutlery at its Courtside location as part of efforts to prioritize sustainability and responsible dining on the University of Kansas Lawrence campus.
As a member of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, KU Dining is working alongside the Culinary Institute of America, Stanford University Residential and Dining Enterprises and the Stanford Prevention Research Center to advance sustainability practices in on-campus dining.
According to the department, in the 2024-2025 academic year alone KU Dining purchased approximately 710,000 pieces of plastic flatware. The cutlery switch will reduce single-use plastic waste and lower the department's environmental impact.
The new bamboo fiber cutlery, supplied by Better Earth, will provide students with an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic single-use utensils. Better Earth provides compostable products made from sustainably sourced bamboo fiber that is unbleached, PFAS-free and grown by American farmers. The new cutlery will be available through a touch-free dispenser, which will allow a convenient and sanitary experience for guests.
Though this change is only available inside its Courtside location in the DeBruce Center for now, KU Dining leadership hopes the initiative will spark inspiration among students all across campus.
“We would love to see this be received well so that we can implement it in other dining facilities that produce a lot of plastic waste,” said Lindsay Robinson, KU Dining director. “We want to encourage our students to think about how a small change like this can really make a difference to the environment and our community as a whole.”
The initiative reflects KU Dining’s mission to reduce waste and make environmentally conscious decisions.
“We all have a part to play in reducing waste, and this is just the beginning of what KU Dining can do to make a change,” Robinson said.
About KU Dining
KU Dining is a department of the KU Memorial Unions serving a variety of customers, ranging from students to faculty, staff and visitors. The residential dining centers, cafés, convenience stores, food court, restaurants, catering department, and food stores are all here to serve Jayhawks.