CDT Fall 2022 - 39

proper waste sorting. A couple of good
examples include Biodegradable Products
Institute (BPI) certified plastics and coffee
cups lined with plastic underneath their paper
exterior can be particularly hard to discern.
The in-person training set the educational
groundwork that led to the introduction of a
waste sorting competition between our two
main dining hall kitchens, which the students
titled the " Waste Race. " For the competition,
our student team performs weekly waste
audits in the kitchens and keeps track of the
contamination rates at each location; we then
announce the winning kitchen at the end of
each semester. The aim
was to make the Waste
Race as engaging and
rewarding as possible,
with a traveling trophy
for the winners and
educational scorecards
where everyone could
see the weekly progress. Our student employees
also make sure to interact with the kitchen staff as
they audit so that they can get to know the team
and work with them toward the goal of having clean
waste streams. This type of friendly competition has
been effective at building rapport among staff and
engaging everyone with the seemingly mundane
topic of waste.
The result of our training and Waste Race was
that our team became much more engaged with
sustainability efforts, got the opportunity to interact
more with students, and gained knowledge about
why waste management matters, which ultimately led
to a more environmentally-conscious work culture.
The result of our training
and Waste Race was that our
team became much more
engaged with sustainability
efforts, got the opportunity
to interact more with
students, and gained
knowledge about why waste
management matters, which
ultimately led to a more
environmentally-conscious
work culture.
These trainings and educational
programs are an ongoing effort. As
with all complex problems, it takes a
while before you see progress, and
it takes even more effort to maintain
that progress. But, what we've
learned with this programming is
that showing staff that they are the
champions of sustainability-and
making it fun for them to be these
champions while also providing
them the knowledge that they need
to succeed-is the best strategy to
improve our waste streams.
MAKING WASTE FUN AND ENGAGING | CAMPUS DINING TODAY
39
CDT Fall 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CDT Fall 2022
