| Despite the extent of food waste in the institutional sector, efforts to reduce this waste are in the early stages. Yet universities in particular are well-positioned to lead on this issue because they have frequently adopted sustainability goals and emphasize sustainability teaching and research. Universities and many other large institutions have also become interested in more transparent food sources, providing healthier food options, and reducing their carbon footprint. In alignment with the University of California's Carbon Neutrality Initiative to lower net campus greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, I analyze strategies to reduce food waste within institutional settings and provide recommendations that can assist universities and other institutions with similar food management systems and infrastructure.;My central research question is: What are the social and environmental influences on food waste behaviors in an institutional setting and how might policy best take these into account? Using Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, I apply a qualitative mixed-methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and observations, to understand the influences on food waste behavior in the UC Davis dining commons. Through this detailed case study, I find that the key influences of food waste behavior are structural. Most significant is mandatory registration for everyone living in the resident halls in the all-you-can-eat (AYCE) dining commons. The abundance of food in the AYCE dining commons model intensifies both unintentional and intentional food waste. Diners desire to maximize value by taking excess food and encourage others to consume more even if it means food will be left uneaten. Ease of access based on the close proximity of food to most seating areas and high visibility also encourages overconsumption and waste. Additionally, I propose seven new food waste behaviors: the Economist, the Try-a-Taster, the Foodie, the Healthy Eater, the Conscientious Eater, the Socializer, and the Habitual Food Waster.;I argue that food waste in institutional settings can be reduced using a combination of the following strategies: 1) switching from the AYCE model to an a-la-carte style of serving food; 2) redesigning food service layout and seating to influence behaviors, and 3) at broader scales creating policies at institutional, local government, and state levels to support food waste reduction programs and research alongside diversion efforts. |
