Each day, students at the high walk away from the cafeteria with food filled trays. However, some of that food will never be touched, and thus, thrown away in the trash.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program requires that every school meal contain the following components: fruit, vegetables, grain, protein and milk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program also allows students to benefit from the “Offer Versus Serve” model, which lets them to either add or remove some items based on personal preferences.
Rebeca Salguero Palacios, Sustainability Coordinator for Food Services, said she feels that students do not understand the model and regulations regarding school lunches.
“Many kids think they have to take the fruit or milk, but they don’t,” Palacios said. “Then they end up throwing it out.”
Sasha Palmer, Director of Food Services at the high school, said it is critical for students to want to eat the food that is served to them.
“The key is that students need to want to eat what’s on their tray,” Palmer said. “If they don’t, we’re just producing food that ends up in the compost.”
Ellen Nylen, the district chef who runs the high school’s kitchen, said students waste more food when meals are free.
“If you pay for something, you’re less likely to throw it away,” Nylen said. “Food is easily thrown in the trash, because they don’t value the food as much. They don’t connect to the servings because it’s free.”
Tolls on the climate
Social studies teacher Roger Grande, who is actively involved in climate education and sustainability, said there is a major impact on the climate because of discarding food.
“The food system contributes about one-third of all global emissions,” Grande said. “How we and the high school students dispose of our food can increase or decrease those emissions.”
According to Eleanor Chmielowicz, the Assistant Recycling Coordinator for the Brookline Department of Works, around 25 percent of the food students throw away is compostable. In a high school cafeteria, where hundreds of meals are served daily, the total waste piles up quickly.
Adding to the problem, according to sophomore Kaela Oliva, many students throw away their food in the wrong bins, often in the trash instead of the compost. When food ends up in the wrong bin, it is sent to the incinerator instead of the compost, and the trash ends up releasing unnecessary emissions instead of producing healthy soil.
Justin Sandler, owner of Black Earth Compost, which composts the high school’s food waste, said the company faces difficulties sorting between food and waste.
“It’s a big cost to remove contamination,” Sandler said. “If it ends up in our truck and gets to our site, we have to pick it out by hand, or use vacuums, screeners, even magnets.”
According to Chmielowicz, this disposal process only creates more problems.
“In Massachusetts, landfills are nearly full, so most waste is burned, creating toxic emissions,” Chmielowicz said.
Small, simple actions like proper composting can help lessen the eco-impact of our disposables. Sandler said composting is comparable to a bank account, something humans should treat with care and respect.
“We think of the soil as a bank—like a bank for your money,” Sandler said. “We’ve been taking money out—withdrawals from the soil—for so long. Compost is the deposit, the solution.”
Student perspectives
Students at the high school have witnessed trays full of food being thrown away, along with other actions that are harmful to the environment.
Junior David Perez-Lawrence said he felt frustrated at what he saw as a continuous lack of respect toward what is being served.
“People are just throwing their trash and food around,” Perez-Lawrence said. “They don’t even eat the whole lunch they get. It’s honestly disgusting. When they do throw it away, they put food in the wrong bins. It ends up in the trash instead of the compost. It’s just messed up.”
However, others feel that there is room for explanation. Junior Lauren Zweibach said she understands why waste is produced by her peers.
“I do feel some guilt about the waste, but at the same time, I’m glad we’re composting and recycling,” Zweibach said. “I empathize with people who throw food away—it’s lunchtime, and sometimes you just need to. I appreciate the moderators who remind people to compost.”
For others, the root of the problem in food waste is tied to the quality of the food, specifically the visual appearance and flavor aspect. Senior Lloyd Feng said he has had unfulfilling experiences with the lunch served.
“Often it’s just not to people’s taste,” Feng said. “The deli’s good, but that’s about it. Sometimes the food is not visually great. The [quality of the] food hasn’t gotten better at all.”
Still, not everyone shares the same view towards the lunch that is served. Sophomore Orson Liang said the work and quality of the kitchen were better than his previous experiences.
“I like the food—especially compared to middle school, it’s so much better. I think we’re privileged to have such good food,” Liang said. “I try to eat all of mine unless it’s something I don’t like. I could probably try to finish more of my food and discourage others from wasting, but in the end, it’s each person’s decision.”
Liang said he recognizes the challenge of fixing others’ eating habits and the importance of mentality to combat food waste.
“Everyone makes their own decision,” Liang said. “You can’t stop people from throwing away food. Though I try to eat what I can and I will try to encourage others to do the same.”
What has been done for food waste
According to Chmielowicz, an estimated total of 200 tons of waste is produced each month across the Public Schools of Brookline. In response to this, the high school has already begun its efforts to reduce food waste.
For example, Nylen and her chef team have commenced their quest to stop food waste in the back of the kitchen by reusing unused food. They often cook a “Chef’s Special,” which uses leftover food.
Additionally, Palacios said that outside of the kitchen, new measures have been introduced.
“We’ve implemented a food rescue program,” Palacios said. “It allows us to recover food that’s still safe and usable. For example, if there’s an unopened milk carton, we can offer it to another student instead of throwing it away.”
These efforts are also supported by the garden, where they produce vegetables for the cafeteria, where students can get hands-on experience in growing vegetables.
Senior Toby Sillman volunteers at the garden and is a member of the Climate and Food Justice Club. Sillman said he has seen how difficult it is to grow healthy, quality produce.
“I think that places like this are a great opportunity to educate students and teachers about the importance of local sustainable food,” Sillman said. “It’s very impactful to just be able to see the food go straight from the garden across the hall to the cafeteria.”
According to Palacios, by students producing their food and using it in school meals, the garden allows students to understand what hardships go into producing what is served on their everyday plates. Students become more aware of the process of making their food, which makes them less likely to throw away their food without consideration.
From waste to awareness
The issue around food waste consists of several different factors: requirements and regulations, student behaviors, the quality of food and environmental impacts.
Palmer said the ultimate solution lies in the change in culture across the school.
“It’s about creating a culture where students understand the value of food,” Palmer said. “If they know what went into it, they’ll think twice before throwing it away.”
Ultimately, Palmer said that students can become active leaders in waste reduction programs. Involvement, such as menu planning, can prevent the production of unnecessary waste before it even happens. Palmer said a single student’s feedback can go a long way.
“We need to have constant communication, constant understanding, constant survey of both students and staff,” Palmer said. “Our ultimate goal is for whatever we put on the tray to be consumed.”
