exploring cafeteria waste practices and metrics · •current cafeteria waste practices and metrics...
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© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Exploring Cafeteria Waste Practices and Metrics
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Speaker Slide
Environmental
Research & Education
Foundation
Bryan F. Staley, PE, PhD
President & CEO
Debra L. Kantner
Data & Policy
Program Director
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Bryan F. Staley, PE PhD
⎻ Employee: Environmental Research & Education Foundation
⎻ Nothing to Disclose
• Debra L. Kantner
⎻ Employee: Environmental Research & Education Foundation
⎻ Nothing to Disclose
Affiliation or Financial Disclosure
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Background on Waste Management and Data
• Current Cafeteria Waste Practices and Metrics
⎻ Current State of Practice in K-12 Cafeterias
⎻ Amount and Types of Wastes Generated at Lunch
• Using Waste Studies to Explore Sustainability
⎻ Data Collection Options, Goals, and Considerations
⎻ Case Studies: Schools Using Data to Increase Sustainability
Presentation Outline
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
What is MSW and How is it Managed?
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Solid Waste is any solid or semi-solid material that is no longer wanted by its owner and is discarded or abandoned.
• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is solid waste discarded by the public.
What is Solid Waste & MSW?
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
How Much Garbage is There?
Americans generate about 382,500,000 tons……or 765,000,000,000 pounds of MSW…
in a single year.
Think of a cube of trash 8 ft high by 8 ft wide by 8 ft deep… that’s your trash footprint!
That’s about 7 pounds of trash per person each day, or 2,600 pounds in a year!
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
What’s in MSW?
Top Stash in the Trash:1. Paper2. Food3. Yard Trimmings
Ex: grass, leaves, branches4. Plastic
These 4 items make up 68%, or about 2/3, of everything we throw away!
Source: US EPA.
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Where Does the Garbage Go?
Four primary endpoints:• Material Recovery Facility
(“MeRF”) or Recycling Facility• Compost Facility
• mostly yard waste• some food waste
• Incineration w/ energy recovery• mostly Northeast/Florida
• Landfill
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
How Much Goes Where?
In the U.S., • Two-thirds goes to landfill• One-quarter is recycled• The rest is either:
• composted, or • burned to create energy
(aka waste-to-energy, or WTE)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Where Do Schools Fit In?
Schools, including K-12, are one of many sources of MSW.
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Growing interest in waste reduction
⎻ Sustainability initiatives and waste reduction competitions
⎻ Growing food insecurity
⎻ Budget constraints
• School waste generation is poorly understood
⎻ Limited number of studies on waste composition or generation
at K-12 institutions
School Waste Management
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Growing interest in reducing food
waste and addressing hunger
⎻ 5 states have policy bans
⎻ Require collection and diversion of
food waste and related organics
• Initially apply to “large” generators
⎻ How do we measure “large”?
Why is Data Important?
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Current Cafeteria Practices and Waste Metrics
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• School Cafeteria Discards Assessment Project (SCrAP)⎻ Partnership with the School Nutrition Foundation, Keep America
Beautiful, and the World Wildlife Fund
• Research effort in K-12 Schools⎻ Document waste mgmt. practices
⎻ Measure cafeteria waste
⎻ Raise awareness at schools
What is SCrAP?
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
2. Measurement Activity1. Questionnaire
Elements of Participation
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• SCrAP reached:
⎻ 93 schools
⎻ 82,800 students
⎻ 38 states
• Measured over 13,000 lbs
of lunch waste
SCrAP Participation
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• 71% of schools offer recycling in the cafeteria
⎻ 91% of schools offer recycling somewhere in the school
• 16% of schools have backyard or garden composting
• 9% send organics to a commercial composter
K-12 Cafeteria PracticesWaste Management Programs
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Length of lunch has been shown to impact the amount
of food waste.
Reported Time Students have for Lunch
K-12 Cafeteria PracticesLunchroom Policies affecting Waste
Elementary Middle High
Average 25 minutes 25 minutes 29 minutes
Shortest 15 minutes 20 minutes 20 minutes
Longest 45 minutes 45 minutes 50 minutes
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Are fruit/veggies required?• Is a beverage required?
K-12 Cafeteria PracticesLunchroom Policies affecting Waste
NOYES
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Who controls the portion size of meals?
State/School Students
K-12 Cafeteria PracticesLunchroom Policies affecting Waste
Prepackaged Staff Only Staff portion,students select # of
servings
Staff (hot items)Students (sides)
Students Only(buffet)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Menu impacts the amount of waste
K-12 Cafeteria PracticesLunchroom Policies affecting Waste
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
4/24 4/27 4/21 4/18 4/28 5/5 5/8 5/9 5/10
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Food Waste
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Yearly cafeteria waste:
43.3 lbs per student
(0.25 lb/student each day)
72% was food/beverage
K-12 Cafeteria Waste MetricsWaste Generation
12%
18%
42%
8%
20%
Breakdown of Cafeteria Waste Types
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Nationally, Milk was 65% of unopened food, averaging:
⎻ 11 cartons/student each year
⎻ $5,460 each year per school
(retail value)
Fruit was 17% of unopened food, by weight, averaging:
⎻ $660 each year per school
(retail value)
K-12 Cafeteria Waste MetricsUnopened Food and Beverage
Breakdown of Unopened Food Types
65%
17%
5% 13%
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Collecting and Using Waste Data at Your School
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Many options, depending on your
goals:
1. Waste Tracking
2. Waste Audit (e.g. SCrAP)
3. Detailed Waste Composition Study
4. Food Waste Audit (e.g. USDA/EPA)
Methods to Weigh Waste
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Weigh total amount of waste
leaving the cafeteria
⎻ Doesn’t require additional sorting
• What do we learn?
⎻ Track waste generation/minimization
⎻ Create a benchmark for goalsetting
Waste Tracking
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Sort and Weigh Waste Types:
⎻ Requires cooperation of students
• What do we learn?
⎻ Amount and types of waste
⎻ Create a benchmark for goalsetting
⎻ Identify waste types to target
Waste Audit (SCrAP)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Steps for Waste Audit
1. Label bins and prepare
students for measurement
2. Help students sort waste
3. Weigh and track bin types
Waste Audit (SCrAP)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• “Sample and Sort” Waste:
⎻ Requires volunteers, space, time
• What do we learn?
⎻ Detailed composition of waste
⎻ Sortation efficiency in lunchroom
⎻ Identify problematic materials
Detailed Waste Composition Study
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Steps for Sample and Sort
1. Separate waste into discrete
categories, typically 15 – 30
2. Weigh individual materials
3. Repeat for trash, recycling, and
compost bins depending on goals
Detailed Waste Composition Study
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Track what food is wasted and why
⎻ Requires students and volunteers, time
• What do we learn?
⎻ What types of food are wasted
⎻ Why students choose to waste specific
food types
Food Waste Audit
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Steps for Food Waste Audit
1. Separate food waste into
discrete categories (e.g. fruit,
rice, dessert)
2. Weigh each category
3. Interview students about why
food was wasted
Food Waste Audit
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
Examples of What Some Schools Are Doing
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Opened in 2015
⎻ Pre K – 5th Grade
• Approx. 800 students
• Traditional calendar
Abbotts Creek Elementary(Wake County, NC)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Even Small Steps Help:⎻ Friday Food Waste
• Integrate into the classroom⎻ Worm Wednesday⎻ Art Class Bin
• Sustainability and Parent Involvement: ⎻ Creation of the ACES Green Team
Abbotts Creek Elementary(Wake County, NC)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Goal to be Tennessee’s
first sustainability magnet
school
• Approx. 550 students
• Traditional calendar
Westmeade Elementary(Nashville Metro, TN)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Connecting students and their community
⎻ After waste audits, students were concerned about unopened food
⎻ The 4th graders initiated and effort to donate unopened food in the
local community
• Using data to change waste practices
⎻ Data was used when working with composting facilities to begin
food waste collection service
Westmeade Elementary(Nashville Metro, TN)
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• Increased sustainability has many benefits, including:
⎻ Addressing food insecurity through share tables
⎻ Saving money through from waste minimization
⎻ Connecting schools to communities through food donation
• Data collection is key to informing and tracking changes.
⎻ Also a way to integrate sustainability into the classroom
Conclusions
© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV
• This session provides one (1) CEU
⎻ Key Area 3: Administration - 3250
⎻ Key Topic: Measuring waste to increase school sustainability
and address food insecurity
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