Dietetic Interns assess the Green Thread Program by looking at how employees are educated and

environmental impacts associated with the program.

R. Aardema, K. Fuchs, A. Dennison
ABSTRACT
The foodservice industry is a very competitive field that is always progressing and coming up with
better ways to provide customers with the product they are looking for. Foodservice operations all
around the world are using new ideas and technologies to run their business in a more efficient way
to meet demands. However, issues have come about regarding the way operations are running their
business and whether or not it is detrimental to the environment. One of the more popular emerging
trends in the industry today is the practice of being environmentally friendly in the way you run your
business. Aramarks Green Thread Program is being implemented in facilities all around the world to
help spread ideas and methods to run a more efficient operation in a greener kind of way. This
paper provides an introduction about the Green Thread Program, methods used for implementing the
program, results gathered from operations that have implemented the program, and conclusions
about the program. The Green Thread Program can have a very positive effect on the environment as
more and more facilities are beginning to implement it. The primary target of this paper is to portray
the ideas behind the Green Thread Program, how facilities have been educating employees about the
program, and how facilities have benefitted from implementing the program.

ARAMARK Distance Learning Dietetic Internship Program, Philadelphia PA

METHODOLOGY
A correlation study was used to help determine the major differences between accounts that do implement the Green Thread program vs. accounts that do not implement the program.
What method will be used to collect data for your project? We will be using a survey to collect data via Google Docs.
Where will you collect the data? In Google Docs
What data will be collected? How many sites implement the Green Thread Program, How employees are educated about the Green Thread program, How has the Green Thread
program impacted the facility, Challenges related to implementing the Green Thread program, How many employees are at each site, Which items are normally recycled, How
much waste is diverted via recycling.
Do you currently have access to any tools or resources that can help you with data collection? Google Docsonline database where we can create a survey, email it out and gather
data, internet access.
Do you need to create any tools or resources to collect data for your project? Our group will be putting together a brief survey.

RESEARCH QUESTION / OBJECTIVE

To what extent does the training of Aramark Employees on the Green Thread Program in
food service operations in the hospital accounts impact the environment?

Study demonstrates the benefits that come from implementing the Green
Thread program within a foodservice facility.
Benefits that come from the program include increased amounts of
recycled materials, more sustainable food vendors, improved client
satisfaction, and decreased waste and energy costs.
Implementing the program at more sites will have a greater positive
impact on the environment

Inclusion Criteria to be used: Food Service Managers of Aramark foodservice accounts

Exclusion Criteria to be used: Age, ethnicity, any position outside of Aramark foodservice managers
The Aramark foodservice managers will be contacted via email. A minimum of 8 subjects will have to answer our surveys to gather reliable data.
Descriptive statistics will be used to evaluate the data while using Google docs and Microsoft excel.

RESULTS

INTRODUCTION
According to Shelley Balanko, Senior VP of the Hartman Group, a growing number of
consumers today are driving the conversation away from just economic value to
broader, overarching values such as planetary health, animal welfare and social
concerns. In other words, they believe that values and ethics, as well as science, are
important when making decisions (1). It is essential for businesses in todays market to
stay on the cutting edge to stay viable amidst other suppliers offering similar products
and services. Sustainable practices have been a growing trend over the past 2 decades
with increased emphasis within foodservice systems in healthcare settings in more recent
years. Aramark, a leader in facility food service, employs thousands of people and strives
for a goal of serving 2 billion meals each year. That type of service requires a lot of
resources. Aramark has implemented a program called the Green Thread Program; their
way of giving back and promoting sustainability throughout the company to help address
these important issues and trends and to preserve the environment for future
generations. In the food service setting in Aramark, there are salaried food service
managers, hourly food service supervisors and hourly food service employees; all which
are affected by the Green Thread program. To understand the impact of Green Thread in
its entirety, three main components need to be considered. Those components include
the impact of employee education for company/program success, sustainability in
Aramarks food service operations and overall environmental impact of those sustainable
practices. Sustainable practices have already proven to be effective in reducing waste
and recycling materials. As more and more facilities begin to use these principles outlined
by the Green Thread Program, it will play a huge role on efficient ways for Aramark food
service facilities to reduce waste. This research project will address the question of how
the training for the Green Thread Program influences the overall environmental impact of
the foodservice operations. The findings are expected to be used to make
improvements, which would allow greater participation in the Green Thread Program.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
(1) How Will Sustainability Shape the Next Decade in Dietetics? Stone Soup stonesoup.
Available at: http://www.foodandnutrition.org/stone-soup/june-2014/how-will-sustainabilityshape-the-next-decade-in-dietetics/. Accessed June 2016.
(2) Robinson-Obrien R, Gerald BL. Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Abstract: Promoting Ecological Sustainability within the Food System. Journal of the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:464464.
(3) Available at: http://www.visitasilomar.com/media/2899/greenthreadclientoverview.pdf.
Accessed 2016.
(4) Schaeffer J. Sustainable Hospital Foodservice. Today's Dietitian 2014;16:3434.
(5) Available: https://www.aramark.net/healthcare/home/topic.aspx?
id=3712&contentid=113910.
(6)Muret D. Aramark flashes its green with biodegradable trade-show booth. Sports Business
Daily Global Journal 2008. Available at: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Accessed
2015.
(7) Huang, Elisa ; Gregoire, Mary B. ; Tangney, Christy ; Stone, Marcelle K.
Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 2011, Vol.14(3), p.241-255.

CONTACT INFORMATION
For additional information, please contact:

DISCUSSION

Robert Aardema
ARAMARK Dietetic Intern

Research shows the benefits that come from implementing the Green Thread Program. A significant amount of energy can be conserved benefiting the environment and also
possibly saving the foodservice account money. As more facilities begin to implement the Green Thread program, results will become clearer as to what is beneficial and what
aspects of the program could still use improvements. Overtime, implementing the Green Thread program could have a have impact on the environment. If all 86 of the Aramark
foodservice accounts were to implement the Green Thread program an estimated 16,598-51,772 tons of waste could potentially be diverted from the landfill each year.

Aardema-robert@aramark.com

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