1. Dining Waste Audit
Brown University 2015
Metrics on current waste stream from Brown Dining Services; suggestions and strategies for future best
practices.
3. 2
DiningWasteAudit
The Blue Room
TrashMetrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 238
Tuesday: 301.8
Wednesday: 322.6
Thursday: 280
Friday: 214.2
Saturday: 123.4
Sunday: 54.8 (Only back-of-house trash—couldn’t reach custodian on time)
Weekly Sum: 1726.9
Average Daily Trash Weight: 246.7 lbs (excluding data from Sunday)
Dominant types of Trash:
Hot cups, compostable containers, wax paper, pink wipes, recyclables (sushi boxes, yogurt cups,
cardboard, aluminum foil, milk cartons, glass containers), food waste (coffee grounds, other back
of house food scraps and leftovers).
Ratio of Food Waste to Non-Food Waste:
Overall, the ratio of non-food waste to food waste (by weight) was about 75:25 (75% non-food
waste to 25% food waste).
Ratio of Compostable to Non-Compostable Waste:
Overall, the ratio of compostable trash items (food, compostable containers, greenwareutensils
and cups) to non-compostable items (recyclables, hot cups, plastic wrap, wax paper, pink wipes)
was about 60:40 (60% compostable to 40% non-compostable) by weight. However, hot cups,
which were by far the most dominant trash item, have compostable alternatives. If hot cups
were replaced with compostablealternatives, theratio would be about 80% compostableto
20% non-compostable.
Recycling in Trash:
There was a moderate amount of recycling in the trash. The most common recyclable items in
the trash were yogurt cups, sushi boxes, coffee cup tops, aluminum foil, and large containers
from back-of-house (aluminum cans, milk cartons, glass containers). The rate of recyclables in
the trash was far higher from the back of house than it was from the front of house bins. This is
probably due to the fact that there is no easily/conveniently accessible recycling bin behind the
counter.
4. 3
DiningWasteAudit
Recycling Metrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 31.9
Tuesday:15.8
Wednesday:32.4
Thursday:25.6
Friday:22.4
Saturday:51.6
Sunday:7.5 (onlyback-of-house—couldn’treachcustodianintime)
WeeklySum:209.65
Average Daily Recycling Weight:29.95 lbs (excludingSundaydata)
Note:Large amounts of cardboard (roughlyone overfilleddumpsterperday) were
recycledfrom the Blue Room. The cardboard was not weighedinthis study.
Recycling Contamination:
Recyclingcontamination varieddaytodayfrom slighttomoderate.The most common
contaminantbyfar was hotcups, whichappearedinthe recyclingeveryday.Othercommon
contaminantswere wax watercups,compostable containers,Greenware cups,andplastic
baggies.Front-of-house recyclingcontaminationwasmuchhigherthanback-of-house
contamination,whichwasminimal.
Strategies & Suggestions
Problem:
Wax papercups (providedforwater) endupinrecycling.
Solution:
Eliminate wax papercupsfromthe Blue Room.Thiswill encourage studentstogetinthe
habitof bringingtheirownwaterbottleswiththem,aswell asreduce the Blue Room’s
recyclingcontaminationand overallwaste.
Problem:
Recyclable itemsinfront-of-house trash.
Solution:
Clearersignage.Wordingof signage (‘mixedcontainers’) isunclear.Includethe word
“Recyclables”inthe signage oronthe shadow boxes.
5. 4
DiningWasteAudit
Problem:
Highlevelsof recyclable itemsinback-of-house-trash.
Solution:
Provide anaccessible recyclingbinbehindthe counter.Communicate tostaff the
importance of recycling.
Problem:
Non-recyclable itemsinrecycling.
Solution:
Clearersignage.Includethe word“Recyclables”inrelevantsignage oronrecyclingshadow
boxes.Update shadowboxestoinclude relevantitems(sushi boxes,compostable
containers,etc.)
Problem:
Ecological impactof waste.
Long Term Goal:
Institute compostingatThe Blue Room.As notedabove,if coffee cupswere replacedwith
compostable alternatives(like thosenow available atAndrews),the ratioof compostable to
non-compostableitemsbyweightwouldbe about80:20.
Goal Diversion Rate (Long Term):
If compostingwere initiatedandstudentandBlue Roomstaff recyclingimproved(perhaps
withimprovedsignage andastudent-runcampaign),The Blue Roomcouldhave adiversion
rate of at least60%.
6. 5
DiningWasteAudit
Josiah’s
TrashMetrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 257.2
Tuesday:376.4
Wednesday:291.2
Thursday:329.3
Friday:379
Saturday:311
Sunday:410.6
WeeklySum:2354.8
Average Daily Trash Weight:336.4
Dominant Types of Trash:
Foodwaste,compostable clamshellcontainers,cups,saladbowls,plasticfilmpackaging,
plates,wax paper,pinkwipes,large recyclablesfromback-of-house.
Ratio of Food Waste to Non-Food Waste:
The ratio of foodwaste to non-foodwaste byweightwasabout60:40 (60% foodwaste to
40% non-foodwaste).
Ratio of Compostable to Non-Compostable Waste:
The ratio of compostable waste (suchasclamshell containers,food,plates,napkins,
GreenWare bowls) tonon-compostablewaste (backof house plasticwrapping,wax paper,
large recyclables,pinkwipes) byweightwasabout75:25 (75% compostable to25% non-
compostable waste).AswithThe Blue Room, if compostable cupswere introduced,this
wouldbe about85% compostable to15% non-compostable.
Recycling in Trash:
The most commonrecyclable itemsfoundinthe trashwere large recyclablesfromback-of-
house (large plasticcontainers,large aluminumcans andtrays,milkcartons).There were
manysalad bowlsinthe trash,but those have now beenswitchedtoGreenWare,soare no
longerrecyclable.There wasaverysmall amountof otherfront-of-house recyclables(such
as bottlesandcans) in the trash.
7. 6
DiningWasteAudit
Recycling Metrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 8.4
Tuesday: 21.8
Wednesday: 13.8
Thursday:12.2
Friday:17.2
Saturday:18
Sunday:24
WeeklySum:115.4
Average Daily Recycling Weight:16.5
Note:Large amounts of cardboard are recycledeveryday at Josiah’s.The cardboard was
not weighedinthis study.
Recycling Contamination:
There wasveryslightrecyclingcontaminationatJosiah’s.There were afew cupsandplates
inthe recyclingonone of the days of the study.
Strategies & Suggestions
Problem:
Large recyclablesfromback-of-house intrash.
Solution:
Make sure there isan easilyaccessiblerecyclingbinforstaff touse.Additionally,make sure
staff are educatedasto whichitemscanbe recycled.
Problem:
Black bagsare usedforrecyclingas well astrash.Whenstaff emptybinsinJosiah’sandtake
themout to the dumpsters,theyare oftenunsure of whichbagsare recycling,and throw all
the bags intothe trash.
Solution:
Use eitherblue orclearbagsfor recyclingsostaff members are aware of what eachbag
containswhentakingoutthe trash/recycling.
8. 7
DiningWasteAudit
Verney-Woolley
TrashMetrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 453.9 (staff were unaware of audituntil dinnertime;numbernotanaccurate
reflectionof the day’strash)
Tuesday:901
Wednesday:700
Thursday:779.8
Friday:712.6
Saturday:closed
Sunday:closed
WeeklySum: 3879.25
Average Daily Trash Weight:775.85
Dominant Types of Trash:
Foodwaste (mostlypre-consumer),pinkwipes,napkins,plasticfilm, gloves,wax paper,
some small jamand butterpackets.
Ratio of Food Waste to Non-Food Waste:
Foodwaste was about 85% of the V-Dub’swaste streambyweight.Over60% of thisfood
waste waspre-consumer/back-of-house waste.
Ratio of Compostable to Non-Compostable Waste:
Overall,about95% of the V-Dub’swaste streambyweightwascompostable.Non-food,
compostable itemsincludednapkins,eggshells,andeggcartons.
Recycling in Trash:
The most commonrecyclable itemsfoundinthe trash were aluminumpie tins,peanut
buttercans, cardboard,paper,newspapers,aluminumcans,plastictrays,large recyclable
plasticcontainers,andwhippedcreamcans.Overall,the amountof recyclables foundinthe
trash wasslightto moderate.
Recycling Metrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 15 (staff were unaware of audituntil dinnertime;numbernotan accurate
reflectionof the day’srecycling)
9. 8
DiningWasteAudit
Tuesday: 76.6
Wednesday: 81.8
Thursday:71.4
Friday:52.6
Saturday:closed
Sunday:closed
WeeklySum:353
Average Daily Recycling Weight: 70.6
Note:VerneyWoolleyrecyclesa large amount ofcardboard every day. Cardboard was not
weighedinthis audit.
Recycling Contamination:
There was some plasticfilminthe back of house recycling,aswell assome to-gocupsand
pinkwipes.Overallrecyclingcontaminationwasverylow.
Strategies & Suggestions
Problem:
Verysubstantial amountof foodwaste intrashstream.
Solution:
Institute compost—eitherpre-consumer,asinSharpe,or overall—atVerneyWoolley. There
are very fewitemsin the front-of-house inV-dubthat are not compostable:foil tea bag
wrappers, creamer containers,and other small trash itemscould all be replacedwith
compostable alternatives(papertea bag wrappers, no creamercontainers [milkwill
suffice,or a dispenseras at Sharpe],etc).If these small itemswere replacedwith
compostable alternatives,all itemsinthe frontof house wouldbe eitherrecyclable or
compostable.
Problem:
Lots of whole foodsbeingthrownout(bread,fruits,deli meatsandcheese.)
Solution:
Partnerwiththe FoodRecoveryNetworkinordertoreduce foodwaste andhelpfeedthose
inneedof nutritiousfoods.
10. 9
DiningWasteAudit
Andrews Commons
TrashMetrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 147.4
Tuesday: 370
Wednesday:233.8
Thursday:307.8
Friday:[264.75]
Saturday:[264.75]
Sunday:[264.75]
WeeklySum: 1853.25
Average Daily Trash Weight:264.75
Dominant Types of Trash:
The most commonitemsinthe back-of-housetrashstreamwere plasticfilm,pinkwipes,
wax paper,gloves,anda large amountof foodandcompostable containers.Front-of-house
trash wasmade up of chipbags,aluminumpastatins,some compostables(platesand
compostable clamshells,napkins),andsome recyclables(sushiboxes,phobowls).
Compostable Items in Trash:
Overall,there wasaslighttomoderate amountof compostin the trash.In both frontof
house andback of house trash,there were alot of platesandcompostable clamshells.Inthe
back of house trash,there was a significantamountof foodscrapsandcoffee grounds.
Recycling in Trash:
The most commonrecyclable itemsfoundinthe frontof house trashwere phobowls,milk
cartons,and sushi boxes.There wasalsosome cleanaluminumfoil inthe front-of-house
trash. Inthe back of house trash,there were recyclable plasticcontainers andcardboard
fairlyoften.
Recycling Metrics
Weights (lbs):
Monday: 29
Tuesday: 52.6
Wednesday: 104.8
Thursday:65.4
