A Comparative Analysis of Quantity and Type of Waste Generated in Institutional Foodservice Operations

Abstract

The management of solid waste in foodservice operations is becoming more important as the cost of waste disposal increases and consumer knowledge of environmental issues increases. The objective of this study was to develop a profile of the composition of solid waste generated in different types of foodservice operations. A series of waste stream analyses were conducted in different types of institutional foodservice operations including college and university foodservice, extended care facilities, and military foodservice operations. Waste stream analyses were used to determine the amount and type of waste being generated by weight, volume, and collapsed volume of materials discarded. Significant differences existed among the three college and university foodservice operations. The facility with a centralized production facility and bakery generated significantly more waste per meal than the operation with limited on-site production. Significant differences (p≤.0.05) also were found among the different types of institutional foodservice operations. The two distinct populations were university foodservice and extended care and military. The university operations generated significantly less food waste (0.34lbs/meal), packaging waste (0.14lbs/meal), and total waste/meal (0.48lbs/meal) than the other group (0.70lbs/meal food waste, 0.28lbs/meal packaging waste, and 0.98lbs/meal total waste). Factors such as type of service system, type of packaging materials, and age and gender of customers influenced the quantity of waste generated. Data from this study provide valuable information for foodservice operators for developing and implementing waste reduction programs. Results of this study could be used in estimating type of waste generated in other similar operations.