Penn State is certainly making strides to become a “green” campus. On-campus restaurant Café Laura has been wracking up sustainability awards recently for its recycling and waste reduction efforts, according to a press release from Penn State.

The restaurant, which is largely run by students in the School of Hospitality Management, recycles up to 20 percent of its waste and composts the majority of its unused perishables. Café Laura also uses some unique and sustainable furniture, such as chairs made from recycled plastic bottles.

These efforts have earned the restaurant significant recognition, including the Pennsylvania Waste Watcher Award for three consecutive years, from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, Café Laura was recognized as a Centre County Green Business Partner, according to the press release.

Also in 2014, the National Recycling Coalition awarded Penn State the Outstanding Higher Education Award for its recycling efforts. Penn State currently recycles 105 different kinds of waste, which is a significant increase compared to the 20 kinds it recycled in 1995.

Penn State will soon increase its output of sustainable energy, thanks to the class of 2015’s gift of a solar panel array. Over the next decade, this array will help Penn State achieve its goal of reducing building energy consumption by 20 percent.

As for Café Laura, its faculty and staff hope to continue improving sustainability efforts in the future, all while sating the appetites of hungry students.

Image: Café Laura