CSULB Dining Hall Food Waste Reduction Campaign

The California State University, Long Beach dining halls reported a staggering 15,000 pounds of wasted food in one month. This large amount of food was found to be primarily wasted when students took it at the all-you-can-eat style dining halls, but did not eat it. While this food was going to the compost bin, the resources that go into growing, transporting and preparing the food are wasted along with the food.

Recognizing this as a knowledge and campus culture issue, the Office of Sustainability at CSULB partnered with the dining halls and residential housing to lead a campaign to get students to think more about the quantity of food they are taking when dining on campus. A waste reduction goal was set, and a meal provided by a gourmet sushi chef would be awarded to students that helped reach the goal.

The campaign was advertised with social media posts as well as signage in the dining halls. Decals were applied to the sneeze guards to serve as a reminder for students not to take more than they can eat. Table tents with info about the effects of food waste were placed at each table to further drive awareness and potentially save food from being wasted on the next trip to the dining hall.