On average, 50% of the waste discarded in the dining halls at UCLA is edible food, adding up to 150-250 pounds of waste per meal per dining hall, or 2.5 oz of edible food waste per person. Food waste not only creates large amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which accelerates climate change, but when food is thrown away, it also relinquishes an opportunity to feed those in need. Producing food also requires large amounts of energy, land, water, and labor to grow, store, harvest, transport, package, and sell, so it is in our best interest to minimize wasted food as much as possible.
Students can help solve this problem by implementing best practices in the dining halls such as starting with smaller portions, washing hands instead of using napkins, splitting portions with friends, etc. However, dining hall options, portion sizes, and menus can also influence food waste. Student feedback for chefs and dining managers can make a difference in reducing food waste long-term by informing changes in menus, food pairings, etc. that respond to student preferences and food waste patterns.
Please fill out this very brief form below to share your feedback:
https://forms.gle/gbrSZ1cuGmfQ5Hqo9.