We did it! Last week ended this semester’s Project Clean Plate in Frank Dining Hall. I am happy to announce that we surpassed our goal of reducing our food waste to 1,100 pounds per week by ending with only 1,038 pounds of post-consumer food waste. This was a 611 pound drop over the course of the six-week event, meaning that significantly less money is being wasted on food within our dining hall and, more importantly, less waste is going into the landfill.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the purpose of this project was not only to spread awareness and reduce food waste on campus, but also to give back to our community. Chartwells pledged to donate the difference in our food waste reduction in food pounds to the Hamilton Food Cupboard. 611 pounds of food will be donated to the local cupboard, helping to restock their shelves and ease the cupboard’s economic constraint as we approach the holiday season.
Of course, just because we reached our goal for this semester does not mean that we can stop being conscientious about our food waste. Yes, some waste is inevitable, like banana peels, avocado shells, and meat bones, but there is still a large amount of edible and delicious food being thrown away. Some tips to cut down on your personal food waste include only getting one plate at a time, sampling a food item before committing to it, and sharing with a friend! I truly believe that we can reduce our food waste to far below 1,038 pounds. Let us be our Colgate best and continue to stay out of landfills!