Addressing the Issue of Food Loss and Waste at Gonzaga University's Main Dining Facility: A Holistic Systems-Based Approach
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. J. Alexander Maxwell; maxwell@gonzaga.edu
Session Type
Poster Presentation
Research Project Abstract
The issue of food loss and waste (FLW) at Gonzaga University is being addressed using a systems-based, holistic approach in keeping with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Hierarchy (FRH). The results from an on-campus food waste audit in November 2017 show that the University’s main dining facility is generating 3,884 pounds of post-consumer waste, 3,309 pounds of surplus edible food, 2,385 pounds of pre-consumer prep waste, and 636 pounds of expired food a week. Using the FRH as a guiding framework, this project aims to reduce and divert FLW at the main dining facility by: (1) improving educational programming and coordinating with the University’s food service provider to reduce post-consumer waste, surplus edible food, and unnecessary food preparation (Source Reduction), (2) making improvements to the food donation program operated by Campus Kitchens (Feeding People), and (3) exploring strategies to divert food waste from landfills by designing, building, and testing a pilot-scale anaerobic digester and in-vessel composter (Industrial Uses and Composting).
Session Number
RS8
Location
Weyerhaeuser 303
Abstract Number
RS8-d
Addressing the Issue of Food Loss and Waste at Gonzaga University's Main Dining Facility: A Holistic Systems-Based Approach
Weyerhaeuser 303
The issue of food loss and waste (FLW) at Gonzaga University is being addressed using a systems-based, holistic approach in keeping with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Hierarchy (FRH). The results from an on-campus food waste audit in November 2017 show that the University’s main dining facility is generating 3,884 pounds of post-consumer waste, 3,309 pounds of surplus edible food, 2,385 pounds of pre-consumer prep waste, and 636 pounds of expired food a week. Using the FRH as a guiding framework, this project aims to reduce and divert FLW at the main dining facility by: (1) improving educational programming and coordinating with the University’s food service provider to reduce post-consumer waste, surplus edible food, and unnecessary food preparation (Source Reduction), (2) making improvements to the food donation program operated by Campus Kitchens (Feeding People), and (3) exploring strategies to divert food waste from landfills by designing, building, and testing a pilot-scale anaerobic digester and in-vessel composter (Industrial Uses and Composting).
