Patrons of the café at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) are getting some effective green messaging along with their meals thanks to new signage spotlighting the environmental and social benefits of the products they buy.
Created by Jenni Alden and Vidya Sivan, members of the HKS Green Team, the circular green signs have been a hit with patrons of the cafe. The signs indicate whether food is local, organic, hormone free, fair trade, vegetarian, or vegan. A sign near the cash register defines each of these terms and their environmental impact. Products that are featured include organic tea, vegetarian soup, and local milk purchased in bulk. The effort has received enthusiastic support from café manager Jayne Raffo and the Sodexo staff.
"We realized there were already so many great things that the café was doing," explains Alden, a graphic designer in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. "But how would people know? The signs educate customers that it's great to buy in bulk and to buy local. And if changes are happening, it helps the café's customers understand why."
The messaging project has multiple goals, including spotlighting the environmentally friendly products that Sodexo currently purchases, encouraging them to buy more of the same, and educating the HKS community.
So if you find yourself becoming more aware about sustainable food choices in the HKS café, it's probably a good sign (so to speak)!
The signs educate customers that it's great to buy in bulk and to buy local.