Yesterday was Stop Food Waste Day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30 to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted every year.
Nationally, the average college student produces about 142 pounds of food waste per year.
One of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Housing and Dining Services’ Sustainability plan’s main initiatives is combating food waste.
The university has partnered with Leanpath since 2021, which helps Dining Services track food waste by weighing food waste and taking pictures of food waste being thrown out. The software allows Dining Services to better understand why and how food is wasted — from overproduction to expiration.
Since February 2021, the university has prevented 180,223 pounds of food waste from occurring and saved the equivalent of 150,180 meals worth of food waste, according to Ellyn McCarter, Dining Services registered dietician.
Some of the methods used to prevent food waste include better understanding how food waste occurs, providing students with ways to personally help and being more conscious of food consumption, according to McCarter.
McCarter said food waste is split into two categories: pre-consumer and post-consumer. Dining Services does a lot to reduce food waste, from trimming food to lowering production and regular inventory checks, she said.
“We have generated 32,046 pounds of post-consumer waste so far this year,” McCarter said in an email.
An average restaurant creates between 25,000 and 75,000 pounds of waste in a year, according to Fourth, a company that works in restaurant management.
“Students can contribute to reducing food waste by taking smaller portions and going back for seconds if they are still hungry,” McCarter said.