Press Contact: Sophie Cardona: (212) 361-2400, ext. 244 , or email cardona@informinc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 1, 1998

MOVE THE NAPKINS AND SAVE: NEW REPORT LAYS OUT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DINING WASTE AND COSTS ON CAMPUS

New York, NY -- Almost 4.5 million pounds of food waste are generated by the nation's colleges and universities per meal. Getting an 'A' at Lunch: Smart Strategies to Reduce Waste in Campus Dining, a new report from INFORM, Inc., describes simple steps to prevent this waste, saving scarce dollars and helping the environment.

"Many school cafeteria and dining service managers are coasting along with barely passing grades," remarked Dr. Nevin Cohen, Director of Programs for the national not-for-profit environmental research organization. "The real stars of campus administration are using innovative techniques to cut down on food and other types of dining waste."

These practical techniques, developed and implemented by students, faculty, and staff, involve using products more efficiently, using less of a product, using it longer, or using it over and over again. The report notes that, because food services are so visible on campus, programs that successfully incorporate these strategies into their daily operations "can serve as models of less wasteful practices that can be replicated elsewhere on campus and in the community."

Changing Trends in Campus Dining
In the traditional sit-down dining hall, plates and utensils are reusable and meals are often "all-you-can-eat." In these plans, discarded food accounts for two-thirds to three-quarters of total waste. Today, more and more campuses are favoring fast-food and takeout-style operations, which generate less food waste because students have to pay for what they take. Instead, more than half the waste in takeout operations comes from packaging and disposable plates and utensils.

Cutting Food Waste
According to a recent report from the US Dept. of Agriculture, Americans threw out more than a quarter of all the food produced for human consumption in 1995. INFORM's report identifies strategies to reduce three categories of food waste on campus: food preparation waste, food prepared but not served, and food taken but not eaten. At some schools, strategies such as using leftover ingredients from one recipe in another, preparing small batches of food throughout the meal, and using smaller plates have been successful in reducing this waste.

Cutting Food-related Waste
The average student uses 500 disposable cups a year, according to one estimate. By offering a 25- to 30-cent discount on refills in reusable mugs, the University of Wyoming decreased purchasing costs by $950 and waste by 185 pounds in six months. Much of the remaining nonfood waste generated on campus consists of disposable trays, plates, utensils, napkins, and packaging. At Florida Atlantic University, placing napkin dispensers on tables instead of on the cafeteria line reduced napkin consumption by 400 cases a year and saved $6000 in purchasing costs.

Advancing Waste Prevention in Campus Dining
An effective waste prevention program requires involvement by all the stakeholders in a school's food service operations:

• Students can raise awareness among their peers and help food services to incorporate environmental goals into their operations.
• Food service directors can work with staff and vendors to encourage efficient materials use and implement specific measures.
• Trade associations such as the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) and the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) can promote best practices and help publicize successful strategies.

"College and university campuses should be places of learning and growth, not waste," observes Joanna Underwood, the founder of INFORM. "By setting an example of good practices, food service operators and students alike can serve as models of environmental stewardship, decreasing the impacts of their own activities and helping to reduce a significant portion of the nation's waste stream."