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Systems Analysis Plate

Waste at Merrimack College
Michael Tan, Sodexo Dietetic Intern

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Problem

Food waste is a global problem

The focus of this system analysis
research project is on edible plate
waste from students (post-consumer
waste)
Not

total food waste, which would include

kitchen scraps, overproduction, spoilage,
etc.

Food waste has a financial,

environmental, and social impact

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Background
A

system is currently in place to weigh and

record overproduction from the kitchen,
which is then composted

Plate

waste is not recorded but does get

composted on campus

Kitchen

scraps do not get weighed or

recorded; they are directly discarded

To record plate waste, a Weigh-the-Waste

event has been conducted previously

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Hypothesis
Plate

waste is directly related to

student indifference toward food waste
and poor taste/quality

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Data and Results

What is being thrown away? (Plate waste observations)

Table 1. What was thrown away?
Top 10 foods thrown away most frequently

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Data and Results (cont.)

Why are students throwing away food? (Student

survey; n = 129 respondents)
Table 2. Why didn't you finish your food?
Responses to student survey

"

oo much food

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

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Data and Results (cont.)
How

much food is being thrown away? (Weighthe-waste event)

92

pounds of food thrown away at lunch (10/5/16)

1,114 students
0.083 pounds per student (for one lunch period)
0.25 pounds/student/day (assuming 3 full meals per
day)
5 pounds/student/month (assuming 3 full meals per
day x 5 days per week)
40 pounds/student/year (assuming 8 months on
campus)
100,000 pounds per year (assuming 2500 students)

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Data Interpretation and Key
Findings
Salad,

pasta, and chicken were the top three foods

most frequently thrown away

40%

of students reported having too much food on

their plate

Only
The

29% of students finished the food on their plate

top two reasons for throwing away food are:

Too much food; I was full (40% of respondents)

I didnt like the taste (23% of respondents)

0.083

pounds of food were thrown away per student

for 1 lunch period

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Conclusions
Many students are taking too
much food

Generally

seem to be indifferent
towards food waste

Many portion sizes are too large

Students with no option to choose

smaller portions

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Recommendations
Disclaimer: Some of these recommendations may be redundant, unrealistic (financially,
logistically, or conceptually), already in progress, or previously attempted:

la carte service

Smaller

plates, bowls, serving utensils

Raise

awareness/educate students on the impact of

food waste

Signage with food waste facts/information (proposed signs

given to preceptor for use in the dining hall)

Raise

awareness/educate students on mindful eating

Signage with mindful eating tips

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Recommendations (cont.)

Improve taste/quality (should already be part of continuous

improvement)

Smaller portions

Examples:

Cutting (some, not all) meat

Cut sausages in half (or quarters)

Cut chicken (sometimes an entire quarter of chicken is served)

Offer some burgers without buns

Use smaller buns (buns are too big for burgers)

Cut pitas into quarters (instead of halves)

Smaller omelets

Cut enchiladas in half

Grapes or bananas instead of apples

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Limitations
Not

all people threw away food at Weigh-The-Waste event

Food

thrown away in trash cans in dining hall was not

accounted for

For

What was thrown away? observations, the amount

was not quantified (i.e. 1 oz. of chicken vs. 4 oz. of chicken)

subjective amount of edible food observed before being

recorded as thrown away (i.e. 1 French fry vs. 10 French
fries)

Some

students did not complete survey accurately (i.e.

choosing Not Applicable (I ate everything) although there
was significant amount of edible food on their plate)