Jonathan Bloom Food Waste Reduction:

Guest Speaker at KSC

2018 Spring Semester

Submitted to: Pepsi Partnership Grant

Barbara Preston
Sr Administrative Assistant
Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Young Student Center 357 M-1503
603-358-2108
bpreston@keene.edu
Proposal summary

The Keene Dining Services, in partnership with the Keene State Dietetic Internship, are seeking
a grant to fund the visit of Jonathan Bloom, Author of American Wasteland and well-known
advocate for food waste prevention. His visit would be in conjunction with a Reducing Food
Waste and Increasing Environmental Responsibility among KSC Students series, where
Dietetic Interns educate undergraduate students on KSC dining hall initiatives to waste less and
become a more sustainable organization. The objective of Jonathan Blooms visit and the series
is to reduce the amount of post consumer waste the students produce each semester and to
make these efforts a sustainable practice for the Keene State Dining Commons. Funding in the
amount of $1,000 is requested for partial coverage of Jonathan Blooms speaking fee and travel
expenses.

Keene State College Dining Hall Background

The Keene Dining Services is partnered with Sodexo, the schools food service provider, to
deliver on the commitment the College has to sustainability. Their primary concern is pre-
consumer and post-consumer waste, over the last few years they have prioritized these issues
and addressed them in innovative and unique ways. The kitchen staff see cutting pre-consumer
waste as not only an environmental responsibility but also as the easiest way to cut costs
behind the scenes. A full trash bin in a kitchen represents inefficiency, so this was the first
system to be changed. The entire food service team works together to;
Track waste
Keep a strict inventory (to avoid over purchasing)
Avoid spoilage with proper storage techniques
Train staff to reduce preparation waste
Adjust menus in order to reduce frequency of uneaten food items
Use reusable service ware instead of disposable service ware
Modify food preparation methods to minimize waste (for example, make bulk
unseasoned tomato sauce that can be used for a variety of dishes and seasoned as
appropriate for those meals)
Purchase items in bulk to reduce packaging
Purchase local food whenever possible
This reduced waste system has been well accepted and successful in the dining hall kitchens.

Post-consumer waste is the more difficult issue that is being continuously addressed by the
dining hall. In 2015 KSC won an EPA award in the Education and Outreach category, for its
campaign to reduce wasted food. This campaign included;
Regular food audits
A spokesperson or mascot - the Carrot, that is displayed in the dining hall to this day
The addition of napkin insert facts that introduced preventing food waste and the
progress that KSC is making
They brought in an external expert on the topic of Waste in America
The college prides itself on the fact that its students are the leaders in this commitment, it is
because of their leadership and initiative that the dining hall tracts its food waste and prioritizes
what happens to the food after consumption as much as they prioritize its quality before being
served.

The dining hall acquired funding from the Pepsi Partnership Grant in 2014 to fund Jonathan
Blooms visit to KSC. During his visit he gave a talk on food waste, met and enjoyed enjoyed
breakfast with some Eco Reps and spoke in several classes. The event was co-sponsored by
Campus Ecology, Keene State Dining Services and the PCSF in addition to the Pepsi
Partnership Grant. His visit was a welcomed success and the desire to re-invite him to Keene in
the spring of 2018 is a timely endeavor. It has been four years since his previous visit, meaning
that the student population has completely filtered through and the current students have yet to
be educated on the national food waste issue. In the past few years the dining hall has begun
composting and have recently been given a donation for the purchase of compostable trash
bags which will aid in the growth of this composting campaign and will enable a sustained
practice. The dining hall has also created an important mutual partnership with the Keene State
Dietetic Internship, where interns are able to complete sustainability competencies through a
series of Food Waste Reduction education projects. This new rotation for the interns will be
continued throughout the year and will be adjusted for the following years based on need and
success.

Jonathan Blooms visit is not a stand alone event, it is in conjunction and support of the school's
commitment to increase sustainability measures. The dining halls efforts are worthy, they are
helping to motivate students and to create a future-forward and environmentally responsible
reputation for Keene State College.

The Problem

According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resource Defense Services
the United States wastes around 31% of its food supply, thats 133 billion pounds, and 18% of of
the U.S.s methane emissions comes from landfills where that food supply is thrown away.
When we waste food, we are also wasting the water, energy, agricultural chemicals, labor, and
a variety of other resources that go into growing, storing and transporting the food. Most waste
occurs among individual consumers, restaurants, grocery stores, and institutional foodservice
organizations, and 95% of that food is disposed in landfills. Since 2015 Keene State College
has wasted ________ lbs of food, a loss of around _____ dollars. The Keene State Dining hall
takes responsibility for this waste and has committed their efforts to the protection and
improvement of their environment, the communities where they do business and the students
they serve. This mission is being addressed through the introduction of a composting system,
pre-consumer waste reduction efforts, continued and sustained education and the creation of
short-term and long term post-consumer food reduction goals.

Southern NH, especially in the Keene community, has developed a strong culture of
environmental responsibility. The town values its natural and built resources and works together
to sustain its unique natural beauty. This is no exception in the College, both students and staff
prioritize environmental sustainability and the college has grown to stand out as a leader in
these efforts. Keene State is a forward thinking learning community with a passion for cultivating
a campus environment where the well-being and flourishing of humans and our non-human
community members is paramount.

Event Objectives

The dining hall and KSC dietetic internship look to invite Jonathan Bloom, accomplished author
and advocate, to speak with students, staff and the Keene community. The objective is to use
his extensive knowledge and experiences to educate the immediate college community and the
surrounding community on current and past Food waste issues and efforts.

Schedule
Day 1
Arrives and is greeted by the Keene dining hall staff with an early lunch
Meets the Keene State Dietetic Interns and learns of KSCs current Food Waste
Education efforts
Invited to speak with Sustainability focused students in a class setting
Provided dinner in the Dining Hall and invited to meet current undergrad students for a
meet and greet evening.
Main Speech that is open to both students, staff and the public
Day 2
Encouraged to explore Keene
Invited to speak in a class with a professor focusing on Food Waste
Provided with a goodbye lunch with the dining hall staff and Dietetic Interns.

Project Sustainability

This is a one time event but is meant to supplement a much larger Food Waste education effort.
The Dietetic Interns are key players in making this a successful education series, they will
sustain continued awareness efforts for students prior to Jonathans visit.

Budget

Funding Use Amount in $ Covered by...

Travel/Stay 500 Sponsors

Speaking Fee 3,000 Pepsi Partnership

Grant/Sponsors

Refreshments 100 Sponsors

Total 3,600
Success of the event will be dependant on sponsorship donations.

Conclusion

The Keene Dining Services, in partnership with the Keene State Dietetic Internship, are seeking
a $1,000 grant to fund the visit of Jonathan Bloom, Author and advocate of food waste
prevention. His visit will be a leading event in this year's Food Waste Reduction Education
series, developed by current Dietetic Intern Kayleigh Hill and conducted by incoming interns.
This supplement to the 2018 spring semester is meant to enhance KSCs environmentally
responsible reputation and to encourage students to take initiative within the dining hall to
reduce their own food waste footprint. This event is worthy of Pepsis funding because of its
sustained impact on not only the College but also the surrounding community, continuing
Keenes environmentally sustainable culture and enhancing the reputation of the college, in a
time when the environment needs to be at the forefront of every responsible citizens mind.