Food waste prevention and measurement
Source Reduction
Food waste prevention at JGU begins proactively in the dining halls, where environmental design and behavioral nudges are combined for maximum impact. The university has adopted trayless dining as a campus-wide standard, a best practice shown to significantly reduce over-serving and post-meal waste. By carefully calibrating portion sizes for all buffet and à la carte meals, the culinary team ensures that students and staff have access to just the right amount of food, minimizing leftovers without compromising satisfaction or nutrition. Continuous feedback from diners is solicited and incorporated, resulting in more accurate menu planning, flexible portioning, and seasonal adaptations that keep waste low and engagement high. This source-level intervention serves as the critical foundation upon which JGU’s broader food sustainability program is built.
Kitchen & Consumer Waste Monitoring
To translate ambition into actionable data, JGU leverages the advanced Sodexo WasteWatch powered by Leanpath system as an industry-leading platform for real-time food waste tracking. Every day, after each meal service, kitchen and consumer waste is captured and digitally logged using specialized scales and tablet-based reporting tools. This process takes place three times a day, ensuring that no portion of the food production and consumption cycle goes unmeasured. By distinguishing between kitchen prep waste, serving loss, and plate returns, the university gains precise visibility into where, how, and why waste occurs. This data-driven approach enables a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous learning in dining operations, a practice highlighted and celebrated in the SDR 2025 as a model for university campuses nationwide.
Targeted Actions & Behavior Change
Data collected from the WasteWatch system does not simply sit in reports. It actively shapes daily operations. Regular review sessions and staff trainings grounded in real campus performance metrics help the food service team identify root causes of avoidable waste and implement targeted interventions, from menu adjustments and ingredient purchasing revisions to reconfiguration of serving lines. JGU maintains an ambitious target of reducing food waste by at least 30% each academic year, and progress is tracked meticulously. Importantly, these monitoring and reduction activities now extend beyond mere waste minimization: the university is piloting protocols for the safe transfer of surplus edible food to the campus food bank. This new integration ensures that perfectly good food, which otherwise would have gone uneaten, is redirected to students and staff in need, turning a sustainability challenge into a social good.
Measurement & Reporting
Transparency is a cornerstone of JGU’s waste prevention ethos. Every aspect of the waste reduction program from source interventions to redistribution feeds into a formal measurement and reporting structure. Food waste volumes, trends, and reductions are regularly logged, analyzed, and featured in the annual SDR 2025, providing a clear record of institutional progress. These analytics not only inform food services strategy but also guide procurement, budgeting, and menu development decisions at the highest levels. By sharing outcomes with the broader community, JGU fosters a sense of shared responsibility and encourages an evidence-based culture of improvement across all stakeholders.
