Introduction:

The goal of this project was to determine the factors that contribute to food waste in Carleton College’s dining halls, and based on this information, to work to reduce these factors. In a world with a rapidly growing population, the issue of food supply is becoming increasingly important. Although and perhaps even because Americans are generally far removed from the uncertainties with food supply that many other nations deal with regularly, the impact of our consumption and particularly, the portion of this consumption that becomes waste is worth examining. In this project, we attempt to call attention to the problem of food waste by educating students about how much is wasted, quantifying the impact this waste has on the environment, and providing suggestions for reducing it. Furthermore, by investigating the structure of Carleton's food service, we evaluate its effectiveness and suggest ways in which its contribution to food waste can be minimized.

Methods and Research:

Our approach to determining the elements that contribute to food waste was two-fold, as we examined both the variables that cause individual students to waste food and the factors that impact Marriott’s overall food waste. This involved four main tasks. First of all, in order to gather actual data, we conducted a food audit in Burton dining hall during dinner on two separate nights. In this audit, we collected and weighed the entire mass of food that was returned to the dishroom on student trays. Data for the first night also included a record of the amount of liquid waste, as well as a detailed sampling on a portion of the trays. For this sample, we recorded the specific types of food wasted and their respective masses. From these audits, we were able to determine an average amount of solid and liquid waste generated per person during dinner. Furthermore, the detailed sampling allowed us to look more closely at the specific types of food that were wasted.

A second aspect of this project involved surveying students in order to determine their attitudes toward food and food waste in the dining halls. In this part of our project, we were interested in determining what students perceived as the foods they most often wasted, and what reasons they reported for wasting this food. We also wanted to gauge students' attitudes toward a change in the format of the meal plan. The information from this survey, along with the data from the food audit, would be used both to educate students regarding their food waste patterns and their impacts, and to provide Marriott with information about factors that contribute to food waste and about students' attitudes toward an alternative board plan.

The third portion of our project involved talking with Marriott's executive chef, in order to understand the inner workings of the food service. Here, we were interested in learning about the ways in which Marriott approaches the issue of food waste and also in finding out the various regulations and restrictions that govern their management.

Finally, we also visited Northfield's wastewater treatment plant in order to get a good idea of where food waste goes after it is sent to the dishroom on student trays. This information would be used to educate students and prompt them to think further about the impact of their food waste on the environment.

Results:

Regarding individual student waste patterns, our goal was to both call attention to the impact of food waste and to educate students about strategies for reducing their own waste. Our data revealed many interesting trends. For example, we determined that an average of .225 pounds of solid waste was generated per student each dinner, or 141.75 pounds per dinner. Because of the exponential difference in the amount of land needed to produce meat as opposed to other food products, we were also interested in assessing the composition of this total. Using our detailed sample analysis, we found that beef composed 4.4% of solid waste and chicken, 5.8%. Extrapolated as a per dinner average, this amounted to an average of 6.26 pounds of beef and 8.25 pounds of chicken wasted in Burton dining hall each night.

Using these figures, we generated several statistics highlighting the impact of wasted food on the environment, which we used to raise student awareness of their consumption patterns. The detailed sample provided us with the information we needed to calculate the amount of land it took to produce each of the different food types wasted. In total, we determined that all 1800 Carleton students would waste 1.7 hectares of land each day. With this and other extrapolated figures, we composed several posters which were hung in the dining halls and throughout campus, in order to call students' attention to food waste.

We were also interested in emphasizing ways for students to reduce their food waste. From our survey, we found that disliking the taste was the most often reported reason for throwing away food, followed by students taking too much food because they thought they were hungrier. We used this information to compile some recommendations for reducing personal food waste, which we also posted in the dining halls. These recommendations address student-reported causes for food waste, and included trying smaller samples of new food items before taking an entire plate, and taking fewer items at a time.

A final aspect of our attempt to raise student awareness involved educating students about what happens to food after it is sent back to the dishroom, which our survey indicated that only 7% of students were aware of this process. At the wastewater treatment facility we learned about the treatment process, and incorporated this information into a poster as well. Most importantly, we wanted to communicate to students that wastewater undergoes only six hours of treatment, which strongly suggests that a decrease in food waste would significantly increase the facility's ability to deal more effectively with other waste products before releasing water into the Cannon River.

The other emphasis of our project involved providing information to Marriott about ways in which they could contribute to the reduction of food waste. From our conversations with the executive chef of Marriott, we learned that re-distribution of leftover food is not a very feasible option. Food shelves typically require uncooked food, while other possibilities, such as allowing employees to take home leftovers, create a number of internal problems. Therefore, we focused primarily on ways in which Marriott could be restructured to minimize student waste, and also on strategies for decreasing over-production.

First, we were interested in the ways in which the structure of the dining hall and the meal plan impact the amount of food that is wasted by individual students. To determine this, we looked at the difference between the amount of self-service and full-service wasted, and found that 38.3% of food waste was from self-service items, while 61.7% was from full-serve items. In our survey, we also found that 75% of students reported wasting food from the two full-serve lines.

We were also interested in assessing the possibilities for changes in the student meal plan. One alternative we considered was moving from the current all-you-can-eat system to an a la carte plan, in which students pay for each of the food items they select. This system would be similar to the one now in place at the snack bar, and would almost certainly result in a reduction of wasted food, as students would likely select their food items more carefully. This was confirmed by our survey, in which 86% of students reported wasting no food when eating at the snack bar. We found that 52.1% of students opposed a switch to an a la carte system, while 28.6% supported it and 14.3% said it would depend on other circumstances, such as the price, quality, and selection of food.

Finally, we also evaluated student-reported reasons for food waste in order to determine possible ways in which Marriott could be restructured to minimize these factors. One main contributor to student waste was taste, reported by 67.9% of students surveyed. This indicates that a possible taste-testing system might be an effective way to reduce student waste. Thus, using the statistics from both our food audit and survey, we were able to provide Marriott with several suggestions regarding ways in which they could consider adapting their structure in order to minimize student waste.

Over-production is a second element in food waste. Although our conversation with the executive chef revealed that current facilities provide some limitations, we were able to propose several new ideas for Marriott's consideration. These recommendations, along with relevant data we collected, were submitted to the executive chef in hopes that some of these alternative methods can be implemented.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

In our investigation of food waste in Carleton's dining halls, we were able to quantify the amount of food wasted by students. As well, we were able to raise student awareness of this problem through signs, surveys and a visible food audit. Our evaluation of the current food service system also provided us with a basis to form recommendations for ways in which food waste can be minimized by Marriott. Regarding individual student waste, our goal was to provoke thoughtfulness and a recognition of where food comes, its environmental impact and how our waste impact can be reduced. Although we were also able to propose several feasible recommendations for Marriott, our conversation with the executive chef made us realize that, in many ways, it is the high expectations that students place on their food service that makes it difficult for Marriott to minimize food waste. For example, if Marriott does not over-produce a certain item and it runs out, students complain about eating something else. For Marriott to truly explore more environmentally sound options, students will have to become more aware of their consumption habits and more willing to work with Marriott as they attempt change.

Student Dining Questionnaire

(Simple Random Sample of 30 On Board Carleton Students)

1. What types of food do you most often take but not eat? (check more than one)

7.1% Center line self service (pizza, grilled cheese, etc.)
75% Burton & Sevy lines (prepared dishes)
17.9% Salad bar
21.4% Beverages
0% Other self serve (ice cream, dessert, sandwiches
0% Other

2. What causes you to throw away the food? (check more than one)

67.9% Don’t like taste
10.9% Served too much
32.1% Thought you were hungrier
17.9% Tried too many options
28.6% No good options/ too many good options
7.1% Other

3. Does the cost per meal play a role in how much food you waste at each meal?

14.3% yes
85.7% no

4. Do you think the serving size of portions is

7% Too small
10.7% Too big
71.4% About right
10.7% Other

5. How much food do you usually waste when you eat at the snack bar?

0% A lot
14.3% Very little
85.7% None

6. Would you prefer a board plan in which you paid individually for each item you took, similar to the snack bar system?

28.6% Yes
52.1% No
14.3% Other

7. Would you waste less food at Marriot if each item had a specific price and after choosing which items you wanted, you paid with your card?

65.2% Yes
13.1% No
21.7% Maybe

8. Could you briefly describe where your food waste goes after you send it back to the dishroom?

7.1% Able to correctly describe
92.9% Unable to correctly describe

Food Waste Statistics

(Data gathered from two full dinners at Marriot)

Total Food Waste Data (Two Dinners at Burton)

142.2 lbs average total solid waste per Burton dinner
113 lbs liquid waste (only 1 dinner sampled, 600 people)
630 people per Burton dinner (average 2 dinners)
.23 lbs solid waste per person per Burton dinner
.18 lbs liquid waste per person per Burton dinner

Extrapolation

32,800 lbs solid waste at Burton dinner per academic year (33 weeks)
52.0 lbs solid waste at Burton dinner per person per academic year
26,000 lbs liquid waste at Burton dinner per academic year
43.5 lbs liquid waste at Burton dinner per person per academic year

If 1800 students wasted this much it would equate to…

98,600 lbs solid waste at Carleton dinners per academic year
78,300 lbs of liquid waste at Carleton dinners per academic year

Assuming same waste at lunch and half the waste at breakfast…

.68 lbs of solid waste per student per day
157 lbs of solid waste per student per academic year
.45 lbs of liquid waste per student per day
103 lbs of liquid waste per student per academic year

If 1800 students waste this much for a full year…

248 lbs of solid waste per student per year
445,500 lbs of solid waste for all of Carleton for a full year
163 lbs of liquid waste per student per year
293,000 lbs of liquid waste for all of Carleton for a full year

The amount of land this equates to is…

3.22 Bald Spots every day for 1800 Carleton students
1176 Bald Spots every year for 1800 Carleton students

Type of Food Waste in sample by weight %

364,457

	Grams	% in sample	lbs/day/person	lbs/year/person	lbs /year at Carleton
Total grain	3558.6	39.4%	0.22	80.3	144,540
Beef	401.7	4.4%	0.02	9.03	16,260
Fruits & vegetables	2064	22.8%	0.13	46.8	84,260
Dairy	1112	12.3%	0.07	23.25	45,456
Chicken	522.6	5.8%	0.03	11.9	21,434
Soda	478.4	5.3%	0.024	8.7	15,582
Potato	198.8	2.2%	0.012	4.5	8,100
Dessert	702.2	7.8%	0.044	16	28,825
Total	9038.3	100.0%	0.55	200.48

Self Serve Vs. Full Service- Actual

Total food waste in detailed sample = 9038.7 g
Total self serve waste = 3460.9 g
Total full serve waste= 5577.8 g
Percent self serve= 38.3%
Percent full serve= 61.7%

Think before you step

A study conducted at Burton dining hall determined that an average of .68 pounds of food is wasted by each student every day.
This might not sound like much, but it all adds up...
* If all 1800 Carleton students wasted this much food each day, the land wasted in producing this food would be the equivalent of 3.22 Bald Spots every day.
* If all 1800 Carleton students wasted this much food for an entire year, the land used to produce it would be equal to 1176 Bald Spots every year.
Know your ecological footprint

Watch your step
Fact:
68% of students surveyed reported taste as the reason for throwing away their food in the dining halls.
Hint:
When trying something new, ask for a smaller serving size to see if you like it. Then come back for more!!
Take less, waste less, reduce your ecological footprint
Questions? Call your eco-print reduction advisor at x5200

Watch your step
Fact:
32.1% of students surveyed reported taking more than they could eat as the reason they throw away food at the end of a meal.
Hint:
Take fewer items at a time, the rest of the food isn't going anywhere.
Take less, waste less, reduce your ecological footprint
Questions? Call your eco-print reduction advisor at x5200

Don't step in that!
Do you know where your Marriott food waste goes? 93% of Carleton students surveyed didn't.
* After leaving your tray, food waste is dumped down a garbage disposal and piped to the Northfield sewage treatment plant.
* After six hours of settling and filtration by microorganisms, the treated waste water is released into the Cannon River directly across from the lower Arb.
* Reducing your food waste directly reduces the organic load on the treatment plant enabling it to process all waste more effectively.

Food Waste Reduction Ideas (Based on Food Audit & Student Questionnaire)

Serving

• 75% of students reported wasting food from the full service lines while only 7.1% reported waste from self service lines, 17.9% from the salad bar and 0% from the remaining self serve options. Based on this, a good idea would be to increase the number of self service food items to reduce reliance on full service items that are more likely to get wasted. This may also help reduce the amount of prepared food that has to be cooked ahead of time for each meal, making estimation easier and wasting less.
• About 68% of students reported not liking the taste of the food as major reason for wasting it. Perhaps by providing samples of prepared dishes for students so that they can taste the food to decide if they like it or not before requesting a full portion, waste from full service lines can be reduced.
• Over 11% of students reported being served too much as a major reason for their food waste. By having servers ask how much of each item a student wants, portions will be more fit to the person. This will help reduce the number of people who take more than they can eat, and thus reduce waste and cost.

Production

• Attempt to produce as much of the food as possible during the meal in response to student consumption. Recognizing this is not entirely possible, choose foods that are generally popular, easily recyclable, and that have low environmental impact to prepare before the meal. Meat and cheese have about ten times the environmental impact of equivalent amounts of rice, grains or vegetables. Based on this, over-production of foods such as meat and cheese can be lessened while lower impact and more easily recyclable foods such as pasta or stir fry will be over-produced. This will not only lessen the environmental impact of the waste, but also reduce cost by wasting less expensive types of food.
• Conduct an extended internal study of how much of each item is made and consumed each night. This will allow Marriott to gain a better sense of what students actually prefer to eat, and also provide valuable data on how much of each item they should expect to need.
• Attempt to design meal schedules that incorporate more recyclable types of food. Particularly, try to arrange meals in a manner so that wasted dishes from one day can be directly incorporated into the next day’s dinner or lunch.

Board Plan

• When students have a sense of cost and direct payment for food, they tend to waste less. This is shown by the fact that 87.5% of students surveyed waste nothing at the snack bar. In addition, about 50% of students were not opposed to a meal plan in which students pay individually for each item. Consider looking in to making the switch to an a la carte meal plan where each food option has a specific price and students can mix and match their meal depending upon what they want. This will allow Marriott to produce higher quality food in smaller portions and force students to think about what they actually want before they take something just because it is “free” in the all you can eat system. This will also create a more visible connection between the cost of the food and how much students are taking. Students will think twice before paying for something they don’t really want, Marriott will produce less at higher quality, students will waste less, and Carleton dining will have a lower overall impact.

General

• Begin composting the student waste from trays. This will reduce our impact on the Northfield Wastewater Treatment Facility while more directly recycling nutrients back into the soil.
• 28.6% of students reported that no good options on a given night was a major reason for their food waste. By publicizing menus ahead of time, students can plan to eat at the snack bar on days that they don’t like the menu. This will reduce waste from students settling for options they don’t really like and also help gauge which meals people actually like.