Many people wonder where Conn’s food waste goes. Even as Harris is closing, I often see pans that are still half full. The logical procedure for disposing of leftover food, composting, seems to contradict Conn’s actual policy. Our cafeterias function by a very strict protocol. Conn used to compost part of its food waste and send the rest to a pig farm. The composting procedure, however, was ended with no explanation. I can only speculate that budgetary concerns influenced the decision. Christopher Manfredi, Director of Board and Meal Plan, was very helpful guiding me through the procedure that Harris follows in order to properly dispose of waste.
Given current climate conditions, it seems illogical that any school would choose not to compost. Therefore, I asked Manfredi the enigmatic question that many have avoided asking: “Do you compost?” His reply was “yes and no.” I learned that Conn composts in a metaphorical way. Manfredi notes, “we have continued to separate the waste because it is a training for our staff, as we’d like very much for composting to come back.”
To remain sustainable, Conn also seeks to “recycle” different food items. Food often flows through different cafeterias on campus to be used in different recipes. Cafeterias calculate their food orders based on the expectations on the amount food students consume each day. To achieve an accurate estimate of food consumption, a worker usually records how much food is left after every single shift. This recording allows cafeterias to be more efficient and less wasteful the next day. Another interesting point is that not all food has the same level of popularity in Harris. For example, the number of people who eat salmon will always outnumber those who eat lentils, or “if salmon is against a quesadilla bar its probable that the quesadilla bar will win, and so we request less salmon pounds for that day,” Manfredi added.
There are many other techniques that Harris and other dining halls employ to eliminate waste. Manfredi added that his typical response to a customer’s question as to what happens if a restaurant has too much waste is, “we fire the chef.” Seeing my reaction to the crudeness of his answer, Manfredi explained in detail that a chef’s job is to calculate and minimize waste. We agreed to disagree because I personally think that measuring food waste should be the job of someone else. The chef’s job is to create good and healthy dishes.
I decided to pose my question about food waste, which staff members avoided answering, and I found their rationale for eliminating mostly composting unpersuasive. Conn may embrace some effective methods to reduce waste but, overall, school policy promotes waste. Cafeteria staff members, for instance, are not allowed to take the leftovers back home, even though this food will probably be thrown away. The rationale behind this regulation is that if a worker mishandles food while at home, then the cafeteria would face liability. The same policy exists at many restaurants. Manfredi claimed its procedural for restaurant staff members to “leave only with their water bottle.” Even if Conn’s policy is practiced elsewhere, I still find it silly that food can rot and consumers can sue for their stomach aches. Doesn’t food delivery function the same way? A restaurant delivers food to be eaten at home. I order pizza every other Sunday and I never thought that I would sue if the food went bad. My experiences and interviews have taught me that, if Conn wishes to eliminate food waste, it must first provide students with rational reasons for maintaining current policies.
