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Sustainability —Continued from page 17, Princeton
In an effort to educate students on the environmental impact of some of their choices
them when it becomes an issue. When
they start to have questions, and it in the dining hall, Campus Dining set up a simple way for them to track food waste.
comes up in the classroom discussion “In the dining halls, we had weighing scales and a flipchart,” she said. “As students
about sustainability or conservation or finished their meals, they would pour any liquid into a jar, and any solid, organic food
whatever it is, and then they give the into a clear bin. They literally saw how much good food was being wasted. On the
example of food, then they are going flipchart, it would say: ‘At breakfast, we had 47.2 pounds of waste, which equals to
to want to know about the meals they 2.7 ounces per person.’ At the lowest-common denominator, we were able to quantify
eat here in the dining hall.” how much food was being wasted, and it was a visual experience of recognizing that
there is something that every individual person could do about that.”
He continued, “Epicurean will not
only show them, but demonstrate what Haneef wants other schools to steal the idea. “Our approach on all of this has been,
their commitment is: ‘This is what at Princeton, we want to develop solutions; but any institution across the globe can do
we do, this is how we are reducing it. We are about developing solutions and sharing them. We refer to it as open source.
the carbon footprint.’ This does two We are going to problem solve: and where we have success, we will try to keep it as
things: it reassures the students that open source as possible — so a small institution that does not have any practices, can
we are doing what we talk about we still find a clear plastic bin, can go and get a $5 scale and can use a paper and pencil
are doing. It is a learning moment and do something about a global challenge.”
for them.”
Community partnership is a big part of the vision. “Last year, we expanded a
Julian added, “You can talk to that community partnership with the Princeton School District,” she said. “It has four
with a clear conscience. You are not elementary schools within the district. Last year, we went with a farmer and one of
white-washing what is on the board. our chefs to the schools, and the chef produced a broccoli-leaf slaw with agave syrup.
Our pledge is visible for all to see. The elementary school kids were being taught about building a relationship with their
I have shown students the labels so own food system. There is nothing more brightening for our day than when a first-
that they can see what we are doing. grade student asked for seconds of the broccoli-leaf slaw. The broccoli leaf otherwise
Then they are the biggest advocates. would have gone to landfill or to waste.”
They carry that information out into
the community to those who want to The campus sustainability efforts will continue to grow into the future. “The goal
hear it or not that we are doing what is that every year, we will take on one or two innovation projects that we can support
we actually say we are doing.” student interest and work with students in thinking through what a future solution in
sustainable food systems looks like, from farm to fork and back,” said Haneef.
—OCH
—OCH