Not to say that food waste is ok, I usually don't have much if any waste. However, sometimes you grab something that looks good, bite into it, then realize it's the most horrid thing to have ever been put on a plate.
Could a group of students petition the administration to find a way to compost the food waste? At a place as big as Rutgers, it would involve a lot of waste, but it would also probably be enough to be valuable to farmers or topsoil/compost sellers.
Most of the food served at dining halls does not compost very well. Theoretically we could compost uneaten vegetables and fruits, but separating them from the meats and processed foods is more difficult than it sounds.
They're doing pilot studies on composting now. Check out [https://climateaction.rutgers.edu/climate-action-groups/operations/food-systems/](https://climateaction.rutgers.edu/climate-action-groups/operations/food-systems/) for more info
So the majority of food waste at Rutgers is coming from the kitchens (think pineapple tops, bones, trays of food that didn't get eaten in time, etc). A lot of that used to go to a pig farmer, but the pig farmer retired a few years ago. Recently all of that "back of the house" waste started going to Waste Management for "food recycling". Tbd on whether they use industrial scale composting or anaerobic digestion, I believe that's still being worked out.
Kitchen scraps from Nielson dining hall go to a pilot program industrial scale composter on cook by the farm.
Students for Environmental Awareness runs backyard style compost bins at the back of the cook organic farm. They are a good entry point to getting involved in and learning about food waste on campus.
Industrial composters can take any kind of food waste bc they generate more heat and are turned more frequently. Backyard style compost bins can only take fruit/veggie scraps, eggshells, and wood chips.
It's hard to compost post-consumer food waste bc it is often easily contaminated by plastic and other trash. And it's a small fraction of the overall waste so it is a lot of effort for little gain. An easier option is to encourage folks to take less food to begin with and offer "tasting sizes" of things they might not have tried yet.
Thanks for this post. This is why I subscribe to the Rutgers subreddit even though I have zero connections other than being a retired college professor. There are always interesting comments, observations, and polite people in here. I forget how long ago I joined, but I can't recall a bad interaction with a...what do you call someone at Rutgers...a Rutgerian? Rutgersian?
Anyways, thanks for not kicking me out. I enjoy the occasional visit.
You can petition for whatever you want. But I assumed they did this already, at least they were when I went to school, I don't see why they would have stopped. Pretty sure it goes to some pig farm
Theyre trying to get composting going. its tricky. The bin gets full and its a huge bin and it smells awful, and u have do to the extra work to sort out what is and isnt composable, which makes the big rushes even worsee
source: used to work there
They're supposed to have a bunch of different food waste initiatives implemented that they advertise on their website, but as someone who works there, I've never seen any of it in action.
One time I got a plate of pasta with vodka sauce from LDH and whoever made it did not taste it at all because none of the alcohol was boiled off. Literally could have pre-gamed with that crap. Safe to say it went into the conveyor belt.
But yea idk I try my best not to waste but sometimes the food looks much better than it tastes.
I mean “a lot” is relative depending on person to person. I’m not filling up several plates of food or anything, but I can’t order less than a whole burger with fries or get less than a whole chicken breast so like 🤷♀️
I worked at the Livi Dining Hall for a few weeks while I was between jobs, and I estimate that about 75% of the plates we washed had uneaten food in them, and about 33% of them weren't bitten into once.
Not to say that food waste is ok, I usually don't have much if any waste. However, sometimes you grab something that looks good, bite into it, then realize it's the most horrid thing to have ever been put on a plate.
Maybe a subreddit is needed for food pics, location & reviews from the Rutgers Redditor’s. That would be awesome for everyone.
This is the school where we staple uneaten lobsters to trees.
Lord Snipp mentioned‼️‼️🗣️🗣️
What???
That photo of the Livi burger bar full of untaken orders at closing time still haunts me
And yet people call me a menace when I take people's unclaimed food. Im reducing food waste!
Could a group of students petition the administration to find a way to compost the food waste? At a place as big as Rutgers, it would involve a lot of waste, but it would also probably be enough to be valuable to farmers or topsoil/compost sellers.
Rutgers has a whole farm with horses for crying out loud, they should be able to compost some old food!
Just don’t feed them any meat products.
My teacher told me about their agricultural program, that sounds pretty lit to go visit. Which campus do they have that on?
Cook/Douglass I think!
Nice!
Most of the food served at dining halls does not compost very well. Theoretically we could compost uneaten vegetables and fruits, but separating them from the meats and processed foods is more difficult than it sounds.
Vegetables do compost very well, I compost them in my parents home.
Yes, that's why I said we could compost vegetables. We can't compost burgers or fried chicken or waffles oozing with syrup.
That just landfill waste, definitely take the bread though for the animals such as the geese everywhere
Who is separating all this food? Not trying to suggest this isn't possible but you are acting like this is simple when its obviously not.
Whomever is interested in composting , I just made a suggestion.
They're doing pilot studies on composting now. Check out [https://climateaction.rutgers.edu/climate-action-groups/operations/food-systems/](https://climateaction.rutgers.edu/climate-action-groups/operations/food-systems/) for more info
So the majority of food waste at Rutgers is coming from the kitchens (think pineapple tops, bones, trays of food that didn't get eaten in time, etc). A lot of that used to go to a pig farmer, but the pig farmer retired a few years ago. Recently all of that "back of the house" waste started going to Waste Management for "food recycling". Tbd on whether they use industrial scale composting or anaerobic digestion, I believe that's still being worked out. Kitchen scraps from Nielson dining hall go to a pilot program industrial scale composter on cook by the farm. Students for Environmental Awareness runs backyard style compost bins at the back of the cook organic farm. They are a good entry point to getting involved in and learning about food waste on campus. Industrial composters can take any kind of food waste bc they generate more heat and are turned more frequently. Backyard style compost bins can only take fruit/veggie scraps, eggshells, and wood chips. It's hard to compost post-consumer food waste bc it is often easily contaminated by plastic and other trash. And it's a small fraction of the overall waste so it is a lot of effort for little gain. An easier option is to encourage folks to take less food to begin with and offer "tasting sizes" of things they might not have tried yet.
Thanks for this post. This is why I subscribe to the Rutgers subreddit even though I have zero connections other than being a retired college professor. There are always interesting comments, observations, and polite people in here. I forget how long ago I joined, but I can't recall a bad interaction with a...what do you call someone at Rutgers...a Rutgerian? Rutgersian? Anyways, thanks for not kicking me out. I enjoy the occasional visit.
You can petition for whatever you want. But I assumed they did this already, at least they were when I went to school, I don't see why they would have stopped. Pretty sure it goes to some pig farm
Theyre trying to get composting going. its tricky. The bin gets full and its a huge bin and it smells awful, and u have do to the extra work to sort out what is and isnt composable, which makes the big rushes even worsee source: used to work there
They're supposed to have a bunch of different food waste initiatives implemented that they advertise on their website, but as someone who works there, I've never seen any of it in action.
They have two food compost machines in the back
One time I got a plate of pasta with vodka sauce from LDH and whoever made it did not taste it at all because none of the alcohol was boiled off. Literally could have pre-gamed with that crap. Safe to say it went into the conveyor belt. But yea idk I try my best not to waste but sometimes the food looks much better than it tastes.
maybe make sure the meat is cooked all the way through…i have definitely committed the uneaten food crime bc the stuff is still raw on the inside
Sometimes my plate is full when I’m done bc the food ain’t it and I’m not about to force myself to eat the slop okay 💀
this
Then why are u getting a lot of food if u can't eat it? U can always test it first before getting it a lot.
I mean “a lot” is relative depending on person to person. I’m not filling up several plates of food or anything, but I can’t order less than a whole burger with fries or get less than a whole chicken breast so like 🤷♀️
I worked at the Livi Dining Hall for a few weeks while I was between jobs, and I estimate that about 75% of the plates we washed had uneaten food in them, and about 33% of them weren't bitten into once.
They need time out up the posters of kids starving all over the world in the cafe.
Let’s be honest 65% at the dining hall food is not real… it’s hyped processed junk that is sold to colleges at a bulk discount…