ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ ranked first in Canada and six worldwide in 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. This was ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ 5th consecutive year ranking in the top 10. The rankings examine universities’ impact on society through the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals within and beyond local communities. Learn more about how these principles are reflected in our dining options across campus, such as our special diet options.
Hospitality Services collaborates closely with student groups and organizations across ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ campus and external partners committed to helping protect our community and environment. We have developed initiatives to help reduce our carbon footprint and minimize our environmental impact while balancing sustainability with high customer service and fiscal accountability in all policies and procedures.
Local Food
From May 2024 - April 2025, 47.8% of our food purchases were from within a 500km radius, and 80.8% is sourced from within Canada.
How food is produced, sourced, distributed, and handled all have sustainable impacts on local economies and the environment. Hospitality Services commits to minimizing our carbon footprint and supporting the vitality of our neighbouring communities through mindful campus food service operations.
Queen's Apiaries
As of the spring 2026, ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ has two apiary locations that produce honey on campus. One is located on West Campus near Richardson Stadium, and the other located at the Innovation Park property.
Bee pollinators in urban areas help ensure the health and survival of plants, flowers, and trees. This living lab supports experiential learning and local food production while improving the campus ecosystem and increasing awareness of environmental sustainability within the community.
Four hives located solely at the Richardson Stadium location produced nearly 500 pounds of honey during fall harvest in 2022.
Ten hives produced 1,844 pounds during the 2023 harvest.
Six hives produced approximately 1,200 pounds during the 2024 harvest.
8 hives produced 542 pounds during the 2025 harvest.
Fairtrade Campus
ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ became Canada’s 41st Fairtrade Campus in 2021. Fairtrade purchasing ensures that ingredients used in product offerings get produced by small-scale farm organizations or plantations that meet social, economic, and environmental standards and provide opportunities to maintain market relationships and the livelihood of farmers.
Fairtrade coffee, tea and a chocolate bar are standard practices on campus in all dining halls, retail locations, and catering provided by Hospitality Services, Donald Gordon Hotel and Conference Centre, the University club, and ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ Event Services.
Sustainable Seafood PurchasingÂ
Housing and Ancillary Services provides the university with a wide range of food services in dining halls, campus retail food locations, and our events and catering operations. Practicing sustainable sourcing helps ensure that seafood in all dining service locations is sustainably harvested from aquatic ecosystems to significantly help protect the world's oceans and preserve underwater ecosystems. We commit to purchasing 100% sustainable seafood that is MSC, ASC, or Ocean Wise certified.
Coolfood Meals
Coolfood Meals identify recipes with a low climate impact. Launched at ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ in the Fall of 2022, recipes are analyzed by the World Resources Institute, a global research organization, for their greenhouse gas emissions. Meals fall below a maximum threshold of per-meal greenhouse gas emissions and meet a minimum threshold of nutritional quality.
Low Carbon meals have at least 38% lower carbon emissions than the average meal. Learn more about this calculation at eatcoolfood.org
Look for this icon in dining halls and make a climate-friendly choice.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has reduced the plastic content in 90% of its products and uses 11% less virgin plastic. With a goal to use at least 50% recycled material in Coke packaging by 2030, new 100% rPET (recycled PET) 500ml sparkling beverage bottles (excluding caps and labels) are circulating across Canada and on Queen's campus.
Approximately 20% of Coco-Cola products sold on campus are now in rPET bottles. To help create and sustain a circular economy, Coke is working to collect a bottle or can for every one produced.