Category Archives: Trayless

Analyzing Traylessness

I’ve been meaning to get around to this post for a while, but the buns keep piling up… Anyway, without further ado, I present what I’m pretty sure is a first: a scholarly study on traylessness. It was written by my food-waste friend Andy Sarjahani and two of his Virginia Tech colleagues, Elena Serrano and Rick […]

June 3, 2009 | Also posted in College | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Might we see curbside food waste collection in Ohio? Some towns near Columbus are considering it. — — A Little Caesars franchisee in Florida recently started donating all unsold pizzas to a United Way soup kitchen. Never having lived in a Little Caesar’s state (despite enduring their ads), I couldn’t imagine why they had so much excess until […]

May 22, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, Food Recovery, Friday Buffet, Household, Restaurant | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Here’s a story on the lifecycle environmental impact of one manufacturer’s heat-and-eat chili. Very interesting stuff, especially the trade off between packaging waste and food loss. — — The San Jose Hazmat team was called in to handle the stench from an office fridge. Seven were sent to the hospital. Just a sad day for […]

May 15, 2009 | Also posted in Events, Farm, Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Trayless Times and a Neat Idea

Two items of business today: 1. The New York Times found the idea of trayless dining fit to print. While I’d hoped for a bit more attention on just how much food waste can be avoided, I thought the writer did a nice job reporting the topic. And I really enjoyed this seldom-discussed rationale for […]

April 30, 2009 | Also posted in College, Household | Comments closed

Wesleyan To Drop Tray

I’ve stopped noting when individual schools go trayless because it has become too hard to keep track (a great problem to have, of course). But I have to make an exception here with the news that my alma mater, Wesleyan, is going trayless next fall. That said, I’m curious what the heck took such an […]

April 28, 2009 | Also posted in College, Energy | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

The Econovore and I may disagree on how to avoid it, but we both abhor waste. I’d love to have a beer with her, but I’m sure I’d get stuck with the tab. Oh well, it’d probably be worth it to get a few of her “flexipes” that could preclude so much waste. — — […]

April 24, 2009 | Also posted in College, Food Recovery, Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Bon Appetit Management Company, primarily a college food service company, have already reached their year-end carbon reduction goals, including some admirable food waste reduction milestones. Kudos, guys. — — Two opposing Ivy League op-eds: one from the Yale Daily News that’s against waste and one from The Daily Princetonian that only occasionally makes sense. — — […]

April 10, 2009 | Also posted in College, Composting, Environment, Friday Buffet, Household | Comments closed

Studying Traylessness

I was talking with food psychology guru Brian Wansink yesterday (he of the portion studies involving refilling bowls, different shaped glasses and stale popcorn). Back at Cornell after his USDA stint, Wansink casually dropped the news that he just started a two-part study on trayless dining. My ears perked up as Wansink described how he […]

April 8, 2009 | Posted in Trayless | Comments closed

Trays Abolished!

Huzzah! Before lighting out for Europe, President Obama issued an executive order banning the use of cafeteria trays in federally-funded all-you-can-eat facilities. All colleges and universities that accept government money will have until August to cease using trays or risk losing their funding and, possibly, accreditation. Sorry to say it, but…April Fool’s!! Oh well. Maybe […]

April 1, 2009 | Also posted in General | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Things are looking grim for a potential California bill that would allow catering customers to demand that their excess food be donated. After having her bill rebuffed last year, State Sen. Jenny Oropeza has decided to take a slow steady approach this year. It seems like a victory for the loose coalition of intertia, fear […]

March 27, 2009 | Also posted in Food Recovery, Friday Buffet, Legislation, Supermarket, Tree Gleaning | Comments closed