America has a food waste problem, with research showing that up to 40 percent of food in this country goes uneaten. Closer to home, in Massachusetts a fourth of the waste we toss out is actually food, even as hunger impacts one in 11 of our neighbors, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank.
In a recent article, WBUR applauded Holy Cross Dining for their efforts in reducing food waste, pointing to initiatives such as reducing the size of plates and doing away with using trays. Also, chefs at Holy Cross make a point of cooking food only as needed, and serving it in small serving pans, with the idea that, if students take less food, they'll waste less food.
"What you would think about if you're doing 1,500 people for a meal, you maybe want to have as much out as possible," said Marty Dudek, associate director of dining at Holy Cross. "We look at it the exact opposite."
The College also collects food scraps for composting, but according to Dudek, Dining Services has been able to reduce waste so much to the point that there's almost no food waste left to donate or compost.
And this isn't the first time Holy Cross Dining is commended for its sustainability efforts. Just last year, the dining hall was ranked No. 4 in the nation by College Consensus, calling it "a national model of sustainability and service."
- Read the entire article at WBUR.org
- Learn more about Holy Cross Dining’s commitment to sustainability
- Learn more about the College’s sustainability efforts
- View College Consensus' list of "25 Best College Dining Halls"
