Video: Where Does BU’s Food Waste Go?
Find out in our video what happens to the thousands of pounds of food scraps generated weekly on campus and Dining Services’ innovative strategy to keep it from becoming trash
Where Does BU’s Food Waste Go?
Where Does BU’s Food Waste Go?
Here’s a sobering statistic: each year, 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply winds up as waste—an estimated 133 billion pounds. Ever wonder what happens to all those apple cores, uneaten pizza crusts, and half-finished sodas in BU’s campus dining halls and retail and restaurant establishments? Probably not.
But for Lexie Raczka, BU Dining Services sustainability director, finding innovative solutions to ensure that BU’s food waste doesn’t become trash is a daily priority. “Our approach to addressing food waste is something that regularly evolves,” Raczka says.
BU Dining has put together a multitiered solution as cutting-edge as it is practical. The first step is prevention: training employees in best practices when trimming meat and vegetables and encouraging students to think about how they can reduce postconsumer waste in the dining halls. Recommendations: taking one plate at a time, reviewing menu options in advance, being mindful when it comes to self-serve portions, and asking for individual menu items if you don’t want a complete meal. But that’s only the beginning.
BU Dining’s strategy for keeping the University’s food waste from becoming trash also includes repurposing, donating unused food, composting, and a novel process known as anaerobic digestion. Watch our video to discover how it all works.
Learn more about campus waste reduction and diversion efforts here and be sure to check out Dining Services upcoming Weigh the Waste events—at Granby Commons this Thursday, November 10, from 11:30 am to 1 pm, and at Marciano Commons on Tuesday, November 15, from 5:30 to 7 pm.
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