Solid Food Waste and Recycling

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Solid Food Waste and Recycling
Washington and Jefferson College
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Andria Pushey
Andrew Simpson
Aaron Houser
Jonathan Ross
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• Procedure and Information Gathering
• interviewed Aaron Weaver, Kristina Meshanko,
• April Cummins, and Kapua Ah Hee concerning
  solid
• waste production and management at the
  college
• interviewed Jeff Lydic and Mr. Lough concerning
• the recycling program on campus

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• Solid Food Waste Questionnaire
• How much solid food waste is produced in a day?
• What happens to the above mentioned waste?
• Is the leftover food disposed of or given away?
• How much untouched food is left over on an
  average day?

• Recycling Questionnaire
• How much recycling is taken out of the dorms
  every week?
• 2. Who collects the recyclables?
• 3. Where are these recyclables taken?
• Is there enforcement for the students to
  participate?
• Is there a quota the college is required to meet?

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Solid Food Waste
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Aaron Weaver Director of Catering and Special
Events

• 10 of prepared food goes untouched every day
• that food goes to feed employees, feeds parkside
• employees, and then the student population
• food that has sat out for too long will be
  thrown away
• 20 of all prepared food is eventually thrown
  away

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Kristina Meshanko Catering Student Employee

• if food is served very little is wasted
• 25 of buffet style food is left over
• this food is reused in the cafeteria or thrown
  away
• 10 of touched food is wasted when dinner is
  served

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April Cummins Retail Supervisor and Marketing
Coordinator

• usually very little untouched food left over
• cannot donate food for fear of liability
• untouched food is reused for the next meal
• 144 gallons of solid food waste per day
• waste cannot be given to farmers for liability
• college is able to donate unopened processed
  foods

Continued on next slide
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• cafeteria is on a cycle menu
• uses production sheets along with formulas for
  serving

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Kapua Ah Hee Dining Services Student Employee

• 150 gallons of waste produced on an average day
• students produce almost all of that waste
• fried foods are always thrown away
• some foods are used to make other foods
• on an average day there are only 2 trays of food
  left
• foods cannot be given away because of possible
  liability

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Recycling
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Jeff Lydic Director of Physical Plant

• recycling program was started a little more than
  a year ago
• the campus has 3 large recycling dumpsters
• program was started as the responsible thing to
  do
• recycling education programs have begun
• organic recycling is also a priority of the
  college
• mulching mowers fertilize the grass without
  chemicals
• leaves picked up by custodial staff are turned
  into organic compost
• this compost is then distributed to the flower
  beds on campus

Continued on next slide
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glass, cans, and plastics are collected by the
Waste Management Co.
used newspapers are collected by the Observer
Publishing Co.
?
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recycle bins in dorms, office buildings and
educational centers
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Thoughts and Conclusions
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Solid Food Waste

• minimal things can be done with left over food
• food can be thrown out, eaten by the faculty, or
  given away
• it seems like a lot of food is thrown out but it
  could be worse
• production sheets make it more efficient
• food service workers judgment also make it more
  efficient
• theres still a long way to go for more
  efficient food services

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Recycling

• recycling has become a huge part of society
• the program is just getting off the ground
• program needs the help of students and faculty
• fiscal restraints cause problems for the college
• environmental role model for the community
• its a group effort and needs everyones
  involvement

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THE END.