Waste Not, Want Not
We Throw Away Too Much Food. Here’s How We Can Do Better.
When Whittier College students returned to campus in the fall of 2021 after being away for nearly a year and a half due to Covid-19 precautions, students rediscovered some of the simple pleasures of gathering for dining-hall meals: the seat saved for them by a friend, the conversations, and food being served up by the CI’s staff.
It was nice to remember some of the small pleasures of community. What we seemed to have forgotten, though, was a 2019 study by, Whittier College’s student-run organization the Food Recovery Network that looked into the amount of food wasted at the Campus Inn in a single day. The goal was to spark awareness for the school’s staff and students. The study, and our college’s concern over food waste, though, seems to have been lost among the myriad challenges of returning to in-person learning during the pandemic.
Why? Maybe it’s the same reason that the Whittier College’s Food Recovery Network did the study to begin with — awareness.
According to a study posted by Recycle Track Systems, an environmentally focused waste and recycling management company, the United States wastes about 80 billion pounds of food every year, making us the worst food wasters in the world. It’s not just the food itself we are wasting. As the World Widlife Fund (WWF) notes, we are also wasting “…all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it.”
The Food Recovery Network’s study revealed that, on average, 2.4 ounces of food are wasted per person every day at Whittier College. This equates to 239.4 lbs of waste per day and around 43,577.6 lbs of waste per school year at Whittier College alone. The data would seem to indicate we are miscalculating how much food needs to be prepared and served at each sitting.
Since the 2019 study, some things have changed that might have an impact on the results of this study. Due to safety precautions outlined in the Whittier College Covid Procedures, self-serve will no longer be an option for the main stations at the Campus Inn. While we are lucky to have staff kind enough to serve customers, portions are now out of consumer’s control. Are people getting enough to eat or are people getting too much of each option? Getting portions right is a factor in mindful eating and individual practices of limiting food waste.
When we dispose of the wasted food after a meal sitting at the CI, not only does the food that took time and effort from the CI staff to serve go to waste, but the food that’s wasted goes to landfill where it produces methane while rotting. The methane released then warms the planet and contributes to climate change. According to the WWF, six-to-eight percent “of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food.”
We have the information and we know what we need to do to reduce food waste and climate change. So what can we do to help stop food waste at Whittier College in particular, especially in the age of civid-protocol, staff-served food?
The Campus Inn operates under the Bon Appetit Management Company that offers catering to “corporations, universities, and museums in 32 states.” The company, at least if you look at its website, professes a strong commitment to sustainability. It prioritizes plant-based proteins, works to reduce emissions produced from the transportation of food, and demonstrates efforts to decrease deforestation. In presenting potential menus for clients, it provides education on where the client stands in relation to their sustainability goals to guarantee the “reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent, per calorie of food, by 2030.”
Beyond the Campus Inn, there have also been student efforts to decrease food waste and create a more sustainable food culture on campus. A main contributor to this is the Sustainability Club. In a recent interview, members outlined the goals of their club, stating that it wants to fight for our earth through activism and engagement.
One goal is to establish a composting system on campus. As vice president, Lhasa Dingpontsawa, put it, “We [Whittier College] have an amazing garden, a coffee orchard and we create so much food waste — it seems silly to NOT have a composting system.”
With many other student organizations dedicated to sustainability, there seems to be a disconnect between the Bon Appetit Management Company’s stated goals on its website and the amount of food wasted on campus. Considering the passion of student-run organizations, raising awareness for ways to minimize food waste could make difference!
The following list of ways of limit food waste and combat climate change was compiled by talking with leaders of student organizations member’s opinions, taking tips from Bon Apetit, and doing research:
- Value Campus Inn workers
A 2020 report by economist Krista Ruffini, found that when workers were paid increased wages, their efficiency increased and profits saw little-to-no change compared to when workers were paid minimum or low wages.
When considering wages at the Campus Inn, it’s clear to anyone who’s attended the CI regularly that there has been a decrease in staff. Some speculate that the increase in single-use plastics this year, as well as the rise in use of paper cups and plates, is related to staff downsizing and cost-cutting measures. Similarly, the decrease in staff may explain with the Campus Inn isn’t quite meeting the sustainability goals outlined by Bon Apetit — too few human resources being dedicated to doing too many jobs.
Fortunately, there are still steps individuals can take to help out our school regardless.
2. Be mindful of consumption overall.
How much you actually eat contributes to how much food you should serve yourself or ask for at the cafeteria and how much food you should buy. Being mindful of finishing the food you have can contribute greatly to limiting the amount of food that is being wasted. A 2017 report by a New York based environmental non-profit the Natural Resources Defense Council, found that the average American wastes around 40 percent of their food. Being mindful of how much is in our carts and plates can reduce this.
3. Make connections with food-waste reduction networks.
Some networks can connect you to facilities that turn food waste produced at the college into fertilizer, livestock feed, and biodiesel fuel. As Whittier College already has a Food Recovery Network, joining it and supporting it efforts is a great way to strengthen the network.
4. Compost!
Speaking of the Sustainability Club, many members already compost at an individual level. Ashley Dueñas composts at her home and spends time educating her family on the importance of not throwing away food scraps. “I have a compost box at home and it just take time to unlearn dumping out food waste into the garbage and just being patient with family who is learning about composting or minimizing how much actual food is thrown away,” says Dueñas.
Sophie Nugent has a small composting bin in her dorm. She donates it directly to the campus garden. She doesn’t rely solely on composting to deal with food waste. Nugent has another recommendation to decrease food waste: “A tip would be to take inventory. I notice that when I’m more actively aware of what I have, I’m less likely to waste any food.”
Not only is it important to compost, but it’s also important to be mindful of your consumption and buying habits.
Sustainability Club vice president Dingpontsawa proposed a program piloted by student workers that would help create a sorting cycle at the school cafeteria where people could separate their plates and forks as well as compostable food waste into the appropriate bins. She stressed the importance of having a plan for what to do with the sorted waste.
“As long as there’s a set plan for where the food waste will go, and how that will directly benefit the school/the environment, I don’t see why the school wouldn’t be receptive to this,” she said.
In these ways, we can start locally by repurposing unused food to benefit our garden, our workers and our climate.
5. Raise awareness
Finally, it’s important to keep the conversation about food waste going among students, staff, and student government. According to a 2013 study by Trevor Stokes of Reuters Health College, college students waste 15 percent less food when there is posted anti-waste messaging around the cafeteria.
Although it might take a little effort, there are accessible ways we can all help reduce food waste. If you are interested in continuing this discussion with the college, consider joining the Sustainability Club or Food Recovery Network here at Whittier College. Or, try bringing the issue up to the ASWC Senate.
There is much to be done, our time and food should not be wasted!
