PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ARAMARK, a leader in providing dining and facilities management services to hundreds of Higher Education institutions across North America, is proud to join its client partners to present at the 2013 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference in Nashville, October 6-9. The AASHE Conference, the largest North American conference focused on sustainability in higher education, brings together thousands of college and university sustainability leaders and advocates to share best practices, participate in interactive sessions and curriculum workshops, as well as attend an awards program and Student Summit.

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"ARAMARK is proud to support our university partners who are being recognized by AASHE for their innovative sustainability programs and positive impact on their campus community," said Rita Alison, National Senior Manager Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship, ARAMARK Higher Education. "These collaborative initiatives are excellent examples of how higher education institutions can advance sustainability on a global scale, while still aligning with their individual campus goals."

Supporting this year's conference theme, "Resiliency & Adaptation," ARAMARK invites all attendees to participate in the "Pledge to Reduce Waste" campaign (Booth 502).  For each AASHE attendee who makes a pledge, ARAMARK will make a donation to the Martha O'Bryan Center in Nashville to fund a meal for the community's underserved men, women and children.

ARAMARK partners from four universities will be recognized and present campus programs that have been implemented in conjunction with Dining Services to support their institutions' sustainability efforts including:

University of Florida: AASHE Campus Sustainability Case Study Award Gator Dining will be recognized for its Foam Free Dining program to eliminate foam from its dining operations, diverting an estimated 1.2 million units of foam products from the landfill.

University of California-Irvine: Green Captains - Student Leadership in Dining Services This presentation will showcase UCI's Green Captain Program which promotes student education and food waste reduction by empowering student employees and managers from each of the residential and retail dining locations to address areas for sustainable improvement and to ensure that existing sustainability practices are followed.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Implementing a Sustainable Post-Consumer Composting Program for a Large Campus CommunityThe University recycling program, UT Recycling, and ARAMARK have partnered over the years to combat waste through recycling and tray less dining.  The sustainability program was expanded to include an on-site composting program and due to its overwhelming success, the decision was made to compost post-consumer food waste with the ultimate goal of changing consumer habits and reducing waste. 

University of Virginia: Food Waste Composting University of Virginia Dining Services will present an overview of its successful partnership with a local agricultural composting operation which has been effective at diverting large quantities of pre and post-consumer food products from the waste generated at residential dining halls. The program was initiated as a student project and continues to provide educational opportunities.  

In addition to supporting its client partners, ARAMARK is co-sponsoring the 2013 Student Summit, which is expected to be attended by more than 700 student leaders who will collaborate on sustainability projects taking place on their campuses.

ARAMARK's leadership and participation in the AASHE Conference and Student Summit demonstrates the company's overall commitment to environmental sustainability. Through various environmental stewardship initiatives and other programs like ARAMARK's Environmental Internship Program, the company seeks to integrate environmental acumen across its workforce in the areas of sustainable procurement, energy and water conservation and waste management.

About ARAMARKARAMARK delivers experiences that enrich and nourish people's lives through innovative food, facility, and uniform services. United by a passion to serve, our more than 250,000 employees make a meaningful difference each day for millions of people around the world. ARAMARK is recognized among the Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE and World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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