Small Plates, Big Ideas
Mixed Reactions to Changes at Dana
When I heard that food left on plates in Dana Dining Hall alone accounted for more than three tons of food waste each week last semester, I was in the market for change. Then, to find out that Dining Services had already developed an action plan was music to my ears. However, when I stepped into Dana, and the cashier station had moved to the right side of the room, my heart sank.
I had a process, a routine. I walked into Dana, took out my wallet, and removed my ID in the same fluid motion I had practiced for semesters. Now, all I get in return for my effort is an ID that fails to scan because the card reader is facing the opposite direction. I don’t know if I’ll ever recover.
This change was made to better facilitate the better use of the new composting system, making my fumbling a small price to pay for a greener Dana. This small change has the added benefit of reducing congestion around the dish return area during periods of high traffic, with many students entering and exiting the dining hall. Hopefully, this should offset the minor delay caused by needing to scrape excess food off one’s plate.
With regard to these delays, it is crucial now that the patrons of Dana obtain a comprehensive understanding of how to use the dish return. It is imperative that the first person in line move as far down to the end of the dish return as reason and availability allow before scraping and depositing their dishes so that the next person may do the same, and so on, reducing wait times by increasing the number of people using the dish return at once.
In tandem with the addition of composting, Dana has also reduced the size of their plates so that less food is taken at once. This change, while not the most pleasant pill to swallow (especially for those who are not guilty of wasting food and may therefore feel unjustly punished), should reduce food waste in Dana. Going back for seconds can and should become a regular part of your Dana dining experience if you feel the new plates don’t allow you enough food.
However, this poses a concern. Will people returning to lines for a second serving further increase congestion during peak hours? No one wants to wait in line for specialty meals twice. Is there enough room on the plate to fit a suitable variety when Dana serves Indian or Mediterranean? These are questions the student body will have to contend with and find solutions to in the coming weeks (would it make sense to reduce the size of ladles and other serving implements to accommodate the new plates? That only further complicates the issue).
The wrap community was dealt a severe blow; the new plates do not fit the tortillas properly, and the only solution (short of larger plates) is to use smaller wraps.
In a brief and informal interview with some Campus Food Waste Committee representatives, I asked where our ceramic friends had ended up, fearing they were rashly done away with as change was rolled out. They assured the plates are currently held in storage at the facilities warehouse to be used for events. Then, I asked whether the new bowls were part of the same initiative and why they had been released early. The CFWC said they had no part in the new bowls, and the change was unrelated to the plates.
Another change to reduce waste in Dana, this time in plastics form, is the switch from individually packaged condiments to bulk sources. Students have also reacted negatively to this change, as the bulk condiments appear unappetizing. Small sacrifices like this will be worthwhile if they produce results. After analyzing the changes made to Dana, the CFWC hopes to return revised figures on food waste and begin to tackle the single-use plastic behemoth that is the Northstar Café. My thoughts are with them.
The sweeping changes made to Dana, along with their reception by the student body, can only properly be assessed after sufficient time has passed and people have the chance to adjust. Only once a new status quo is set can we take a step back and again determine what works and what doesn’t. I, for one, am willing to accept minor inconveniences in pursuit of an ideal like creating a greener campus, especially if my efforts reflect in a reduction of food waste. Moving the register, though, I may never forgive.