Food Group
Problem 2: Waste Reduction
Analysis
Currently, dining in the colleges produces large amounts of non-compostable
waste every day. With the exception of glass bottles and aluminum
cans, all of it is thrown into trash cans and sent to a landfill.
Since CK has never studied the amount and composition of its waste output,
we wanted to assess what exactly is thrown away and how it could be reduced.
Criteria
As part of our Food Waste Survey, we collected
the paper and plastic trash in a separate container. It amounts to
roughly 19.5% of the total waste output at the average meal, but since
it has a much lower density than food products, it accounts for the vast
majority of refuse volume. Since waste disposal services charge by
the cubic yard for removal, decreasing the production of paper and plastic
trash would mean substantial savings on waste disposal costs for Rice.
Further, we ascertained that most of the trash from CK falls into three
groups: paper cups, milk cartons, and paper napkins. Through
our ongoing dialogue with Mark Ditman, we have devised plans for waste
reduction in each specific area.
Proposals
Paper Cups -- CK already plans to eliminate paper cups in the colleges
next year in favor of larger plastic cups. Unfortunately, these new
cups will not be able to be taken out of the commons, one reason that 50%
of students polled said they like the paper cups. Thus, in addition
to the current plan, we propose to emulate several other universities in
selling reusable plastic mugs to students which they can bring to meals
to purchase drinks. These mugs, if sold through the Envi Club or
other "green" organizations on campus, would provide a perfect opportunity
to promote awareness of waste reduction issues among the students.
The Coffeehouse already has such a mug program, which we suggest could
be expanded for a significant campus-wide impact.
Milk Cartons -- Our group and Ditman agree that continually replenishing
refrigerators with milk cartons and paying to dispose of the empty and
out-of-date cartons represents waste and inefficiency for the Food Service.
We suggested that milk machines would cut down waste and labor costs, but
unfortunately, space limitations in most of the current college kitchens
make such an improvement unlikely. Therefore, we propose that when
the two new colleges and the new Wiess are constructed, they include larger
kitchen areas which can house milk machines and other technologies that
lessen the environmental impact of the operations.
Paper Napkins -- We propose that the cloth napkins currently available
at family style dinners be used at all meals. This would greatly
reduce the amount of paper napkins being thrown away. Moreover, the
long-term savings from decreased waste disposal costs would offset the
initial cost of purchasing new cloth napkins. Ditman believes this
plan is feasible, and that existing laundry facilities would suffice to
handle the increased load of dirty napkins.
Composting -- Currently, the majority of waste on campus goes
directly to a landfill. The research we conducted on other universities
revealed a growing trend in composting. It is a viable alternative
because it provides landscaping materials for the campus, while reducing
the high cost of hauling vast amounts of waste off-campus. Given
Rice's proximity to residential and professional communities, the most
effective composting system would be a self-contained and self-engineered
compost facility. This would reduce the anticipated protests to objectionable
odors and noise. (Please see the Exterior Spaces Group's proposal
for composting at Rice)