The Food Project: Study of Food Waste and Biodegradable Disposable ware

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The Food Project Study of Food Waste and
Biodegradable Disposable ware

• Laura Bruynell
• Stephanie Cloots
• Alison Takemura
• Spring 2005- Enst 302

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Summary

• North Servery as basis for study
• Measured food waste before and after an
  educational campaign at Jones College
• Decreased food waste over the 6 week period
• Investigated alternative choices to disposable
  ware

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Problem Causes

• Student apathy
• Dissatisfaction with food quality
• Students over-taking of food

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Problem Effects

• Environmental
• Energy demands for food production
• Transportation of food
• Intensive land degradation
• Inefficient water use

• University
• spent on food waste disposal
• Less money for upgrades in serveries
• from meal plan thrown away

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Solution Goals

• Increase student satisfaction
• Increase lines of communication with servery
  staff
• Make students aware of amount of food waste
• Make students aware of environmental impact of
  food production and disposal
• Make disposable waste more ecologically friendly,
  propose switch to biodegradable disposable ware

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Solution Plan

• Measurement of edible food waste
• Informing students of our findings educational
  campaign
• Fiscal information from Housing and Dining
• Data on paper purchases, disposal
• Prospects of biodegradable disposable ware

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Educational Campaign- Jones College
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From where, O where
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You wouldnt do this
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All you can eat 34.5 lbs
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Biodegradable Disposable Ware

• Biodegradable Food Services and Biocorp, Inc.
  contacted for further information and estimates
  for purchases
• Cost comparison between biodeg. and regular
  disposable ware
• Samples sent to verify quality

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Expected Results

• Slightly lower food waste averages after
  educational campaign
• Students becoming more conscientious of food
  waste
• Less disposable waste, or prospect of changing to
  more environmentally friendly ware

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Methodology

• Different trashcans for food waste and non food
  waste at Brown and Jones
• Signs indicating what each consisted of
• Group member monitoring it during lunch (12-1 pm)
• Measured pounds of waste compared to card swipes
  of students entering servery

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Results of Measurement

• Difference in food waste on average was .044 lbs
  per person at Jones college
• Jones average waste per person declined to .132
  from .176 lbs.
• Overall Jones total average waste decreased to
  24 lbs. from 34.5 lbs.
• Brown stayed relatively stable, from .176 to
  .167 lb per person.

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Results-continued
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Results-continued
The vertical line denotes where the educational
campaign began
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Results-continued
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Results-continued
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Results-continued

• Students concern, suggestions, interest in the
  project
• Cabinet talk at Jones
• Biodegradable option price difference
• New price 3 times current than presently
  purchased
• Recommendation for Sid Richs change to ware
  first, composted in earth tub

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Recommendations

• Places to dispose of biodegradable disposable
  ware, for composting
• Further study on how much of a persons meal is
  being wasted
• O week orientation to servery and ways to reduce
  waste
• Appreciation dinner, more open lines of
  communication
• Local, organic food sources
• Napkin dispensers

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Review

• Decreased food waste at Jones due to perpetual
  educational campaign
• Increased awareness of the problem of food waste
• Recommendation for switch to biodegradable at Sid
  Richardson first
• Any Questions?