ANN ARBOR, Mich., - September 28, 2015 – Michigan Dining announced today that Twigs, a dining hall at the Oxford residential neighborhood, has become a 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non-profit organization promoting sustainability in the restaurant industry.
After undergoing GRA’s rigorous process, Twigs implemented prescribed environmental practices, going 55 percent above and beyond the minimum requirements necessary for Certification and earning a total of 155 GreenPoints™. The dining hall now meets high sustainability levels in the categories of disposables, energy use, food, building materials, chemicals, waste and water. GRA made special note of Twigs’ comprehensive recycling system and no use of Styrofoam. A profile of Twigs is featured on the Greendine website.
After renovations, Twigs reopened in Fall 2013 with an expanded dining room, new furniture, booth seating and a more convenient entrance. During the school year, Twigs provides full dining services and late night/weekend a la Carte items to Oxford residents, as well as all students with a Michigan Dining meal plan.
Twigs at Oxford is one of seven dining halls and more than 24 markets and cafes operated by Michigan Dining, a Student Life Auxiliary aimed to enhance the on-campus experience for approximately 40,000 students who attend the university and to educate students about healthy eating, sustainable dining and foods from global cultures.
Michigan Dining maintains a high rate of recycling and composting in its operations, and purchases 12.7 percent of its produce from farmers within a 250-mile radius. University of Michigan was the first among Big 10 universities to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification for providing sustainable seafood to diners.
About the Green Restaurant Association (GRA)
The Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurant mark in the United States. For 23 years, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand and green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards. With its turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in a profitable manner. The GRA is an Energy Star partner. For more information visit www.dinegreen.com.
About University of Michigan Student Life Auxiliaries
The University of Michigan Student Life Auxiliaries support the student experience and build community via its programs, services and facilities throughout the Ann Arbor campus. Auxiliary units include University Housing, Michigan Dining, University Unions, Recreational Sports, Conference and Event Services, Marketing, and Capital Projects. Together, this group operates 18 residence halls, hundreds of apartments, seven dining halls, 24 markets and cafes, three student unions, indoor and outdoor recreational sports facilities, and several other ancillary spaces and facilities. For more information on Michigan Dining, visit http://dining.umich.edu or follow Michigan Dining on Twitter.