WASTE REDUCTION

Waste Reduction:
Efforts made to avoid or minimize creation of waste.
Includes waste prevention, reuse, and recycling.

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm
Key Terms
Waste: Not meant to be used or reused.¹
Municipal Solid Waste: Legal for landfill (not hazardous).²
Post-Consumer Waste: Packaging, plate waste.²
Plate Waste: Customers’ discarded food.³
Zero Waste: 95%+ less solids to landfill (per UC)²
Zero Waste Event: Packaged foods avoided as feasible;
reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials used.³
¹http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm,
²http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/Sustainable%20Practices pp 2-5,
³http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 13
Common Strategies
(FSM) Waste
Management
Hierarchy:
● Prevent,
● Reduce,
● Reuse,
● Recycle/Compost/
Make Energy
(Biodigestion),
● Landfill(1,2)
¹http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm, ²http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/
ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 13, Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3518269
Common Strategies
● Waste Prevention: Don’t make waste in the 1st place.
Pros: Best practice. Cons: Feasibility? ↑ Labor cost.
● Precycling: Buy less packaging - raw produce, bulk
goods, or concentrates. Avoid single use/disposables.
Pros: Very effective. Cons: Limits purchase options.
Higher labor cost. ↓ Convenience, so may ↓ appeal.
● Reuse: Durable serveware, containers, signage, etc.
Pros: Very effective. Lower energy/resource cost vs
recycling. Cons: ↑ Water, energy use & labor cost.
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm
Common Strategies
● Recycling: Waste is converted into new items.
Pros: ↓ Landfill cost.² ↓ Demand for raw materials.
Cons: Higher energy/resource cost vs reuse.¹
● Composting: Recycling of organic matter.¹
Pros: ↓ Landfill cost. Converts waste into fertilizer.²
Cons: ↑ Labor cost. Specialty items. May ↑ pests.
● Biodigestion: Converts organic matter into energy.
Pros: ↓ Landfill & energy cost. Cons: Need facility. ²
¹http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm
²http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/ucd-waste-diversion-plan.pdf pp 11-16, 31-32
UC System Policy
The University of California’s
sustainability efforts are united under
the Sustainable Practices Policy,
which highlights and sets targets in
nine areas of sustainable practices,
one of which is waste reduction.

http://ucop.edu/sustainability/policies-reports/index.html
Image: https://marketing.ucr.edu/resources.html
Zero Waste 2020
In fiscal year 2013-14, the UC system
diverted 63% of waste from landfill.
With newer numbers reflecting 69% of waste
diverted, the #MyLastTrash campaign has
emerged. It encourages members of the UC
community to refuse, reuse, and recycle, and
asks individuals to consider,
“Could my next piece of trash be my last trash?”

http://ucop.edu/sustainability/programs-initiatives/zero-waste/index.html
Image: https://zerowaste2020.universityofcalifornia.edu/
Foodservice is Targeted
However, there are no specific system-
wide guidelines in this area.

Instead, there is a heterogenous mixture

of waste reduction strategies employed
across the UC campuses.

Let’s take a look at some of those used at

UC Davis...
Images: http://dining.ucdavis.edu/sus-recycling.html,
https://www.alumni.ucdavis.edu/get-connected/traditions/
alumni-parent-friends/traditions-26-50/35-dc
 UC Davis Waste Reduction
● Renewable Energy Anaerobic
Digester
● Resident Dining To-Go reusable
containers
● Try-a-Taste options at the
Dining Commons
● Reusable container discounts
and plastic bag free operations
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf Image: http://www.davis
enterprise.com/local-news/ucd/waste-not-want-not-ucd-technology-transforms-organic-waste-into-energy
UC Davis Waste Reduction
● Zero Waste Concessions at Aggie
Stadium
● Zero Waste University Catering

http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf
Images: http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/progress/waste_reduction/
http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/news/2010/december/wastewise.html
Other UC Campus Strategies
UC Berkeley: UC Riverside:

● Composting ● Composting with Athens

● Waste oil sold to be Services
converted to ● Food Waste Dehydrator
biodiesel ● Recycling of used oil
● Donation of surplus food

http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucb_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucr_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf
Other UC Campus Strategies
UC Irvine: UC Santa Cruz:

● Compostable and ● Compostable

Recyclable To-Go Tableware
containers ● Made to order meals
● Recycling 100% of fryer ● Discontinued straw
grease use
● Receipt Recycling
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/uci_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 3-4
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucsc_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 6
Non-UC Waste Reduction
● Boston University recycles coffee cups and clean
milk and juice containers in addition to other
standard recycling practices on their campus.
● Boston University- Reusable Mug Program

http://www.bu.edu/sustainability/what-were-doing/waste-reduction/
Image: http://digital.vpr.net/post/vermont-has-new-universal-recycling-symbols#stream/0
Non-UC Waste Reduction
● Cornell University- donation of perishable food
items to local food bank
● University of Brighton- Anaerobic Digestion
● DJUSD- elimination of packaging.

http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/initiatives/food-recovery
http://about.brighton.ac.uk/sustainability/campus/waste/
Questions
● What does the University Retirement Center do
to reduce food service waste?
● How are their strategies similar or different from
those sites within UC Davis dining?
● What strategies have you seen employed at
foodservice operations outside of our site visits?
References
Key Terms:
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/Sustainable%20Practices pp 2-5
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 13
Common Strategies:
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Define.htm
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 13
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/ucd-waste-diversion-plan.pdf pp 11-16, 31-32
Image: By Drstuey at Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3518269
UC System Policy:
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/policies-reports/index.html
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/programs-initiatives/zero-waste/index.html
Images: https://marketing.ucr.edu/resources.html,
https://zerowaste2020.universityofcalifornia.edu/, https://www.alumni.ucdavis.edu/get-
connected/traditions/alumni-parent-friends/traditions-26-50/35-dc,
http://dining.ucdavis.edu/sus-recycling.html
References Cont’d
UC Davis Waste Reduction:
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucd_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 13
Images: http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/ucd/waste-not-want-not-Ucd-technology-
transforms-organic-waste-into-energy,
http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/progress/waste_reduction/
http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/news/2010/december/wastewise.html
Other UC Campus Strategies:
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucb_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 1, f
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucr_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 6-7
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/uci_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 3-4
http://ucop.edu/sustainability/_files/foodservice/ucsc_foodservice_report_13-14.pdf p 6
Non-UC Waste Reduction:
http://www.bu.edu/sustainability/what-were-doing/waste-reduction/
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/initiatives/food-recovery
http://about.brighton.ac.uk/sustainability/campus/waste/
Image: http://digital.vpr.net/post/vermont-has-new-universal-recycling-symbols#stream/0