From left, project volunteers Erin Hossein, Anitra Higgins, and Elissa Boulas put food waste into bins. Photo by Kaeley GeschkeIndiana University’s Master of Science in Food Studies first graduate culmination project produced eye-popping results on food waste and guided IU Dining’s efforts to reduce waste.
Kaeley Geschke, who graduated with a master’s degree in food studies from IU Bloomington in December, teamed up with IU Dining to implement a “waste weighing” project in the dining halls of two dormitories in the fall. Extrapolating the data showed that each person generated an average of 67 pounds of food waste each semester.
“Students didn’t realize how much they were throwing away,” says Geschke.
Brian Gilley, who oversees the food studies program in the Department of Anthropology at the College of Arts and Sciences, said Geschke’s study on food waste is an excellent example of the kind of project program leaders want students to do.
“She not only focused on the practical aspects of waste, but also on how culture, privilege, and other demographics influence students’ perceptions, preferences, and willingness to change their food waste habits. It added knowledge,” said the anthropology professor Gilley. .
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Cary Geschke. Photos posted
The MSc in Food Studies has been in progress for approximately six years, with the first cohort starting in the 2021-22 academic year. IU has been a leader in food research for his 20 years, and the master’s program was created to meet the demand for increased educational opportunities in food research, Gilley said. While such programs have been primarily in the areas of nutrition and agriculture, IU added elements of cultural, historical and social justice missing from existing programs in the United States, he said.
Geschke, who holds a BA in Anthropology and Journalism from IU and is planning a career in the restaurant business, is well-versed in this topic as it covers a variety of topics including agriculture, sustainability and food equity. He said he was fascinated by the program.
The MSc is aimed at helping graduates become professionals in food systems and how they connect to sociological, social, cultural and political systems. The program includes four semesters of classes, an internship and a capstone project.
However, Geschke finished in three semesters. During her internship at IU Dining, she decided to do a “weigh the waste” project for her capstone.
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IU’s Residential Dining Director, Ken Field, was working on a food waste weighing project while at Northwestern University.
“We let students know how much food they were wasting. It was very successful and eye-opening for students,” Field said. “When I came to IU, I got a lot of questions about the impact of the all-you-can-eat program, so I had the idea to do it.”
Offered in five cafeterias, the program allows students to visit multiple times a day and eat unlimited meals. Field said the goal is to eliminate food insecurity. In the past, students would skip meals or eat the bare minimum for fear of losing their meal points.
However, according to Geschke, people think they need to get their money’s worth, so they end up eating more than they can eat in the buffet program.
When Field asked Geschke to investigate what it would take to put together a food waste weighing event at IU, she found such an event worked well for her climax. Field let her do the project.
“I thought she did a great job,” Field said. “She asked questions, collected data, organized volunteers. She wanted to do it.”
An example of leftover food collected in the “Garbage Measure” project. Photo by Kaeley GeschkeThe project took place on September 26th at dinner time from 5:00pm to 9:00pm on October 3rd at the South East District Forest Quad and the Northwest District McNutt Quad. The locations were chosen to serve the cross section of diners served. The liquid was put into a bucket and the rest of the waste was put into a trash can.
Forrest collection generated 476 pounds of solid waste and 15 gallons of liquid from 2,290 guests. This was an average of 3.32 ounces of solid waste and 0.84 ounces of liquid waste per guest.
McNutt’s collection yielded 506 pounds of solid waste and 12 gallons of liquid from 2,583 guests. This averaged 3.1 ounces of solid waste and 0.59 ounces of liquid waste per guest.
Extrapolating the combined measurements to 16 weeks per semester, 7 days a week, 3 meals a day equates to 1,078.56 ounces of waste, or about 67 pounds per person per semester.
“I haven’t been to a diner since IU Dining turned all-you-can-eat. I didn’t think it would be so wasteful,” says Geschke.
Waste ranged from small bites to entire sandwiches, with some foods being wasted more than others.
“People don’t know it’s a problem until they realize it’s a problem,” says Geschke.
In his peak presentation, Geschke suggested several ways to reduce food waste. She said students can:
- Check out NetNutrition, IU’s diet tool to help you make meal choices.
- Plan enough time to eat.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals and take small portions on each trip.
She also said that IU Dining can:
- We offer a wide variety of meal hacks.
- Revamp your menu to serve your favorites and avoid overproduction.
- Use extra unprepared items for other meals.
Efforts to reduce waste
Field said the amount of food wasted in these two days of collection could have fed hundreds more, as well as the cost of buying and preparing food and transporting the waste to landfills. is also increasing.
Fees for the all-you-can-eat program will increase by 4% starting next fiscal year, Field said.
Educating students about food waste is a multi-layered approach, he added. New students are introduced to meal plans and sustainability initiatives during orientation. Servers are also empowered to speak up and let students know, allowing students to eat small portions multiple times and customizing their meals so they only eat what they need. Signage is planned to educate students about.
Menus are constantly evaluated so that students are never offered items they don’t eat. He also wants to introduce food hacks to help those who are tired of menus.
Instead of serving hamburgers on buns, Forrest allows students to build their own burgers, so they can only eat what they want. If it works, it could be introduced elsewhere, Field said. Cereal and waffles will also be served throughout the day to help those with fussy eaters, he added.
Field says new reusable carry-out containers will be added this fall to reduce paper waste. Each has a barcode that is scanned when handing over the takeaway food and the barcode is scanned when the container is returned. The reusable container will first be used at the Collins Living Learning Center, and if it works well, it will be rolled out at The Book Market He Eatery and Good Body Hall.
“If IU Dining can reduce the amount of food waste per plate, it will be in the best interest of the planet and the students themselves,” Geschke said.