From stale French fries to spoiled milk, edible food that, for whatever reason, goes unconsumed after being made available for human consumption represents a major problem from many perspectives, economic, environmental, and otherwise.
According to the USDA, food waste is 30 to 40% of the food supply. But what is food waste like on college campuses? Well, our latest two-part episode of the FRE Lunch podcast answers just that question!
Food Waste on College Campuses
According to the National Resources Defense Council, 22 million pounds of food is wasted annually on college campuses.
According to Dr. Olesya Savchenko, assistant professor of Food and Resource Economics, part of the issue when it comes to stopping this waste is the many different avenues in which it is occurring. For example, all you can eat dining halls and fixed rate meal plans both offer no economic incentive for diners to consume less, leading to larger rates of waste.
Savchenko carried out a study at the University of Illinois which looked at whether an educational campaign could help reduce food waste in all you can care to eat university dining hall setting. Over the course of a semester, Savchenko and her collected and weighed students plate waste three days a week at lunch in two dining halls: one with an educational campaign present and one without.
She said that while their campaign did increase student awareness in the experiment and change their attitudes, a combined policy that includes structural changes and behavioral nudges would likely be needed to create long term behavioral change.
“If we can combine things such as education, incentives, and smart policy changes, I think that could make a real impact,” said Savchenko when interviewed on the podcast.
Ways We are Reducing Food Waste at UF
So, what’s being done at UF to reduce food waste? Well, the answer is a lot of things! We sat down with Maddie Kowalewski, Sustainability Manager for Florida Fresh Dining to find out just how sustainability and food waste reduction are being approached by the dining services here on campus.
UF has an ambitious goal to eliminate 90% of University of Florida waste from landfills. Since the program started, over 300,000 tons of organics and food waste have been diverted through composting. Other initiatives include trayless dining to prevent over consumption, and regular educational events hosted by Kowalewski which encourage students to engage and learn more about the role they play as individuals when it comes to reducing their own food waste.
“By integrating food waste reduction into sustainability efforts, we can establish a campus model that addresses the environmental impact and fosters mindful habits,” said Kowalewski when interviewed on the podcast. “Campus dining services interact with students daily, offering opportunities for education throughout their time at UF. This inspires the campus community to contribute to a sustainable future where every action drives collective change.”
Want to Learn More?
To learn more, listen to our two latest episodes, available on your favorite podcasting platforms.
Season 1, Episode 8 – Scrapped Snacks: Exploring Food Waste Reduction on College Campuses
Season 1, Episode 9 – Love Your Leftovers: Tackling Food Waste on College Campuses
Tune in here: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/fre-lunch-podcast
F.R.E. Lunch is the official podcast of the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department, showcasing how economics can help us understand and address the complex issues facing agricultural and natural resource industries. Each month, a short 15—to 20-minute episode features FRE faculty and student research presented in a bite-sized, easily digestible format that will surely bring you back for seconds.
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