Fries to Fuel: One Way Campus Dining Leads Major Sustainability Efforts 

Red Jacket Dining Hall. (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)

Go ahead—eat more fries. Your order is making biofuel. Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) is recycling used cooking oil from four of SUNY Geneseo’s dining facilities and turning it into fuel. It is one of several CAS sustainability initiatives that include all phases of food service, community partnerships, and supporting local businesses.

Since January, CAS has ordered its cooking oil in bulk from Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI). The company collects the waste oil and ultimately transforms it into bio fuel to power its delivery trucks, reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gas.

“We have recycled our cooking oil since 2005. In partnering with RTI, we have improved safety, reduced plastic and cardboard waste, and improved the quality of our fried menu items,” says Mat Felthousen, CAS executive director. “We are continuously seeking ways to reduce our impact and operate as environmentally conscious as possible.”

CAS recycled 24,000 pounds of cooking oil between 2022 and 2025, says Tom D’Angelo, CAS director of supply chain and management. 

CAS also:

• purchases produce from a local distributor, with emphasis on items grown in New York state.
• purchases all milk and most dairy products from Upstate Farms, a co-op of more than 300 family-run farms in New York State.
• supports local businesses by sourcing goods and services from businesses located within a 60-mile radius of Geneseo.
• uses biodegradable cutlery and to-go containers. 
• Is reducing use of single-use plastics and is transitioning from plastic to aluminum beverage bottles in retail and vending locations. An all-aluminum vending machine is in Milne Library.
• composts food scraps from all dining operations, including Starbucks, The Halal Shack, and Books & Bites, which are collected by a Rochester-based business.
• has installed high-efficiency washers and dryers in student townhouses and residence halls that require less water and energy.
• places can and plastic bottle recycling bins designated for collection by Arc GLOW in dining locations. Arc GLOW provides services and employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities in Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. The organization redeemed 2,537 cans and plastic bottles in 2024–25.

Learn more about sustainability efforts at SUNY Geneseo.