The Emerson Sustainability team always looks forward to our monthly Weigh the Waste events! We host these events in the Dining Center to raise awareness about food waste, practice waste sorting, gain feedback about the causes of food waste, and track our progress over time. Each month during a dinner period, we help diners to sort and weigh four different categories of waste: edible compost, inedible compost (such as napkins, bones, and rinds), liquids, and trash. We’ve been making a lot of progress this semester! 

Total Waste Results 

This fall, we averaged 80 lbs of total waste during the dinner periods we measured each month. There were 95.2 lbs of total waste in September, dropping off significantly in October and December, with 71.9 lbs and 73 lbs of waste respectively. This is great progress compared to fall of last year, with an average of 115 lbs for each event. 

We also track how many pounds of total waste each diner produces. In September, there were 1.89 oz per person, 1.59 oz in October, and 1.70 oz in December. While we still have room to reduce our waste further, we were seeing over 2 oz. per person when we started these events last year! 

Edible Compost 

While our total waste increased slightly from November to December, we are happy about a steady decrease in edible compost this semester! This category comprises the majority of the waste during our events. In September, there was 68 lbs of total edible compost, 56 lbs in October, and 51 lbs in December. 

Survey Responses

We love to hear feedback from students! At each event, we ask diners why they had leftovers on their plate. On average this semester, 36% of diners took too much food, 21% were served too much, 26% had waste that was inedible, 11% didn’t like the food, and 6% ran out of time to eat. 

This feedback helps us to improve upon our waste and dining systems to help diners reduce their overall waste! Remember to take only what you know you can eat. You can always go back for more! 

Waste Sorting and Waste Reduction

Overall, Weigh the Waste helps our community practice waste sorting and waste reduction. 

Correct waste sorting is important because when compost or recycling bins are too contaminated with items that don’t belong, the entire bin must be added to the trash. By recycling and composting correctly, our waste can be reused for other purposes instead of going in the trash stream. 

While we want to ensure proper waste sorting, we also want to reduce our overall waste. The less waste we can produce, whether it’s edible, inedible, trash, or liquids, and the more items we can keep in circulation, the more we can protect our environment. This reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and resources associated with waste disposal and conserves new materials needed to make new products. You can read more about Emerson Sustainability’s waste goals in our Sustainability Action Plan. 

Thank you so much for helping us reach our waste goals and participating in our Weigh the Waste events this semester! Be sure to check out monthly Weigh the Waste updates on the dining hall mural in Center Stage. We look forward to seeing you in the Spring!