Residential Dining: Waste Study
In an effort to understand the impact of food waste in the residential dining halls, the Forty-Niner Shops conducted a study to measure the amount of food and liquids that are discarded during a normal lunch period.
Our findings concluded the following trends:
- During a normal lunch period, over 200 pounds of solid food waste were collected in the dining halls.
- This would create over 17,200 pounds (nearly nine tons) of solid food waste in one semester!
- The average student generated over 50 pounds of solid waste, and nearly 50 gallons in liquid waste in a single academic year.
Shifting all three residential dining halls to trayless dining decreased these figures significantly. Our water consumption also decreased (30%), once we removed and were no longer cleaning the trays. Today, all three residential dining halls are trayless facilities.
Green Bag Campaign
In support of the City of Long Beach Plastic Bag initiative, the Forty-Niner Shops have partnered with Associated Students to eliminate the use of plastic bags on campus. Plastic bags will be phased out in all Forty-Niner Shops retail operations by the end of April 2012. As a part of this transition, the Shops will encourage customers to forego bags altogether, or to purchase alternative paper or reusable bags.
Energy Efficient Vending Machines
In a unique approach to address energy conservation, the Forty-Niner Shops partnered with the Green Campus Internship Program and the Coca Cola Company to introduce Energy Star efficient vending machines on campus. Energy Star qualified machines keep beverages cold while using less energy than older machines, and can be up to 50% more energy efficient than standard machines. The Shops exchanged 19 older machines for newer ENERGY STAR models. This upgrade was estimated to save 47,785Kwh, and a total of $4,779 per year. The Shops continue to evaluate appliances and systems to ensure we provide alternative green options.
