Category Archives: Trayless

Weighing In On Campus Food Waste

Ever wondered what the waste looks like from one college cafeteria meal? Wonder no more: Above is the accumulated plate waste from one dinner at Willamette University in Salem, Ore. That school’s chapter of the fabulous Food Recovery Network (FRN) organized the Weigh the Waste event last year along with the school’s caterer, Bon Appétit Management […]

January 21, 2016 | Also posted in College, Events | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

At last–a peer-reviewed analysis of trayless dining! Two American University researchers found that removing trays at their all-you-can-eat cafeteria cut food waste by 32%. What’s more, diners use 27% fewer dishes, leading to water and energy savings. — — As we learn here, cutting food waste would go a long way toward making our food […]

December 21, 2012 | Also posted in Anaerobic Digestion, College, Composting, Energy, Environment, Stats | Comments closed

Monday Leftovers

South Koreans will soon be getting used to weight-based waste bins that charge residents for the amount of food waste they create. Swipe cards will help the machines keep track of who wastes what. It’s the latest waste-reduction step for a nation without much room. (They’ve already banned food from landfills.) — — Students at […]

January 30, 2012 | Also posted in College, Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Notre Trays

I gave a talk on Notre Dame on Thursday and, as part of the visit, got to meet with a few friendly members of the school-run dining services. I was impressed to hear that a student led initiative had halved per student wastage in one month. And that two local shelters collect food from their […]

April 11, 2011 | Also posted in College | Comments closed

Going Trayless: A Look Back at the Transition

This guest post comes from Alvina Lopez, who is pursuing a journalism degree from Ashford College and blogs on the topics of accredited online colleges. Below, she writes on her cafeteria experience from her undergrad days at Rice University, including the shift to traylessness. — As any college student knows, the cafeteria is a central locus […]

October 19, 2010 | Also posted in College, Guest Posts | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

I’ve seen refrigerator makers leverage keeping foods fresher, longer, but I’ve never seen such an overt discussion of how a fridge avoids waste (and saves bushels of cash!). — — Wait, there’s a composting operation in Las Vegas?! Things are looking up. Then again…A1 organics is generating complaints from neighbors (who moved into homes in […]

August 6, 2010 | Also posted in College, Composting, Household, International | Comments closed

Food Waste? BAM!!

One rule at this humble site is that any time a food service provider with 400+ venues launches a food waste reduction campaign, they’ll receive some favorable coverage. (Between you and me, I’ll pretty much write about any kind of food waste initiative.) And so…Bon Appetit Management Company (BAMCO) recently announced its food waste reduction […]

March 10, 2010 | Also posted in College, Environment | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

First BOGOFL, then lagom. Am I going insane? Possibly, but these aren’t indications of that, just ideas from the world of food waste reduction. To follow up on the Buy One Get One Free-Later idea, a poorly-worded survey found that 58 percent believe the ability to get the free item later would reduce supermarket waste. But…the idea is aimed […]

October 30, 2009 | Also posted in College, Friday Buffet, International, Supermarket, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Not sure how I missed this awesome photo spread of refrigerator contents, but I’m just glad we’re together now. Bonus points to the first person to find the truly bizarre item inside one freezer (hint: eek!). — — Here’s a priveleged response to traylessness at Stanford (where trays are still available on request). In my opinion, […]

October 2, 2009 | Also posted in College, Farm, Friday Buffet, Household, International | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

A Cape Cod mother reflects on how much trash can collect in just one weekend. The article includes an interesting discussion of reducing waste via Pay-As-You-Throw trash collection. — — Good to see the (tennis) U.S. Open is composting the food scraps from its central kitchens, but why not have composting bins on the concourse for fans? We’ll call […]

September 4, 2009 | Also posted in College, Composting, Energy, Events, Friday Buffet, Vermiculture, Waste Stream | Comments closed