IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v7y2015i2p1370-1387d45161.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Food Waste Auditing at Three Florida Schools

Author

Listed:
  • Ann C. Wilkie

    (Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida-IFAS, P.O. Box 110960, Gainesville, FL 32611-0960, USA)

  • Ryan E. Graunke

    (Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida-IFAS, P.O. Box 110960, Gainesville, FL 32611-0960, USA)

  • Camilo Cornejo

    (Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida-IFAS, P.O. Box 110960, Gainesville, FL 32611-0960, USA)

Abstract

School cafeterias are a significant source of food waste and represent an ideal opportunity for diverting food waste from landfills. In this study, cafeteria waste audits were conducted at three Florida schools. Food waste comprised the largest fraction of school cafeteria waste streams, ranging from 47% to 58%, followed by milk, paper products (tissue, milk cartons, pasteboard, paper plates, and cardboard), and plastics (plastic wrap, packaging, and utensils). Metal and glass comprised the smallest fraction of the waste stream. Average total waste generation ranged from 50.5 to 137.6 g·student −1 ·day −1 . The mean generation rates for food waste ranged from 24.7 to 64.9 g·student −1 ·day −1 . The overall average for cafeteria waste generation among all three schools was 102.3 g·student −1 ·day −1 , with food waste alone contributing 52.2 g·student −1 ·day −1 . There are two primary approaches to diverting school food waste from landfills: reduction and recycling. Food waste can be reduced through educating students and staff in order to change behaviors that cause food waste. Food waste can be collected and recycled through composting or anaerobic digestion in order to generate beneficial end products, including soil amendments and bioenergy. Over 75% of the cafeteria waste measured in this study could be recycled in this manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Ann C. Wilkie & Ryan E. Graunke & Camilo Cornejo, 2015. "Food Waste Auditing at Three Florida Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:2:p:1370-1387:d:45161
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/2/1370/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/2/1370/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mary Griffin & Jeffery Sobal & Thomas Lyson, 2009. "An analysis of a community food waste stream," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 26(1), pages 67-81, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nicoletta Favuzzi & Paolo Trerotoli & Maria Grazia Forte & Nicola Bartolomeo & Gabriella Serio & Domenico Lagravinese & Francesco Vino, 2020. "Evaluation of an Alimentary Education Intervention on School Canteen Waste at a Primary School in Bari, Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Elena Cristina Rada & Chiara Bresciani & Eleonora Girelli & Marco Ragazzi & Marco Schiavon & Vincenzo Torretta, 2016. "Analysis and Measures to Improve Waste Management in Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Joaquín Jiménez-Antillón & Carlos Calleja-Amador & Luis G. Romero-Esquivel, 2018. "Food Waste Recovery with Takakura Portable Compost Boxes in Offices and Working Places," Resources, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Jelena Lonska & Anda Zvaigzne & Inta Kotane & Inese Silicka & Lienite Litavniece & Sergejs Kodors & Juta Deksne & Aija Vonoga, 2022. "Plate Waste in School Catering in Rezekne, Latvia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-26, March.
    5. Ivana Blešić & Marko D. Petrović & Tamara Gajić & Tatiana N. Tretiakova & Julia A. Syromiatnikova & Milan Radovanović & Jovanka Popov-Raljić & Natalia V. Yakovenko, 2021. "How the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Can Be Applied in the Research of the Influencing Factors of Food Waste in Restaurants: Learning from Serbian Urban Centers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Godwin Glivin & S. Joseph Sekhar, 2016. "Experimental and Analytical Studies on the Utilization of Biowastes Available in an Educational Institution in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-9, November.
    7. Christine Persson Osowski & Dariusz Osowski & Kristina Johansson & Niina Sundin & Christopher Malefors & Mattias Eriksson, 2022. "From Old Habits to New Routines—A Case Study of Food Waste Generation and Reduction in Four Swedish Schools," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, January.
    8. Ming-Ling Yang, 2022. "Research on the Evaluation Mechanism of the Black Soldier Fly Biological System on Campus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fatoumata Jarjusey & Norshamliza Chamhuri, 2017. "Consumers' Awareness and Knowledge about Food Waste in Selangor,Malaysia," International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs (IJBEA), Sana N. Maswadeh, vol. 2(2), pages 91-97.
    2. Johnson, Lisa K. & Dunning, Rebecca D. & Gunter, Chris C. & Dara Bloom, J. & Boyette, Michael D. & Creamer, Nancy G., 2018. "Field measurement in vegetable crops indicates need for reevaluation of on-farm food loss estimates in North America," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 136-142.
    3. Kevin D Hall & Juen Guo & Michael Dore & Carson C Chow, 2009. "The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(11), pages 1-6, November.
    4. Lingfei Wang & Yuqin Yang & Guoyan Wang, 2022. "The Clean Your Plate Campaign: Resisting Table Food Waste in an Unstable World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Roberto Ruggieri & Giuliana Vinci & Marco Ruggeri & Henry Sardaryan, 2020. "Food losses and food waste: The Industry 4.0 opportunity for the sustainability challenge," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 159-177.
    6. Jamal, Ahmad & Peattie, Sue & Peattie, Ken, 2012. "Ethnic minority consumers' responses to sales promotions in the packaged food market," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 98-108.
    7. Laura Bravi & Federica Murmura & Elisabetta Savelli & Elena Viganò, 2019. "Motivations and Actions to Prevent Food Waste among Young Italian Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-23, February.
    8. Graham-Rowe, Ella & Jessop, Donna C. & Sparks, Paul, 2015. "Predicting household food waste reduction using an extended theory of planned behaviour," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 194-202.
    9. Lorenzo Compagnucci & Alessio Cavicchi & Francesca Spigarelli & Lorenza Natali, 2018. "A multi-stakeholder attempt to address food waste: The case of Wellfood Action EU project," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 20(3), pages 503-528.
    10. Garrone, Paola & Melacini, Marco & Perego, Alessandro, 2014. "Opening the black box of food waste reduction," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 129-139.
    11. Kelsey D. Meagher & Anne Gillman & David C. Campbell & Edward S. Spang, 2020. "Relational and Logistical Dimensions of Agricultural Food Recovery: Evidence from California Growers and Recovery Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Richards, Timothy J. & Hamilton, Stephen F., 2018. "Food waste in the sharing economy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 109-123.
    13. Jeffery Bentley & Eric Boa & Solveig Danielsen & Pablo Franco & Olivia Antezana & Bertho Villarroel & Henry Rodríguez & Jhon Ferrrufino & Javier Franco & René Pereira & Jaime Herbas & Oscar Díaz & Vla, 2009. "Plant health clinics in Bolivia 2000—2009: operations and preliminary results," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(3), pages 371-386, September.
    14. Massimiliano Cerciello & Massimiliano Agovino & Antonio Garofalo, 2019. "Estimating food waste under the FUSIONS definition: What are the driving factors of food waste in the Italian provinces?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 1139-1152, June.
    15. Christian John Reynolds & Julia Piantadosi & John Boland, 2015. "Rescuing Food from the Organics Waste Stream to Feed the Food Insecure: An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Australian Food Rescue Operations Using Environmentally Extended Waste Input-Output ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, April.
    16. Herath, Deepananda & Felfel, Abdel, 2016. "Determinants of consumer food waste behaviour: Homo Economicus vs. Homo Moralis," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236260, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Fonseca, Jaime R.S., 2014. "A Latent Class Model to discover Household Food Waste Patterns in Lisbon City in Support of Food Security, Public Health and Environmental Protection," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 4(3), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Marzena Lemanowicz & Anna Jasiulewicz, 2021. "Attitudes and Behaviour of Polish Consumers Regarding Food Waste in the Food Chain," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 636-648.
    19. Massimiliano Cerciello & Massimiliano Agovino & Antonio Garofalo, 2019. "Estimating urban food waste at the local level: are good practices in food consumption persistent?," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 36(3), pages 863-886, October.
    20. Kai Victor Hansen & Lukasz Andrzej Derdowski, 2020. "Sustainable Food Consumption in Nursing Homes: Less Food Waste with the Right Plate Color?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-9, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:2:p:1370-1387:d:45161. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.