Campus Food Waste Survey and Improvements

Campus Food Waste Survey and Improvements Understanding student habits and identifying practical solutions

Why Survey Campus Food Waste?

Why Survey Campus Food Waste? Survey Purpose Behavior: Measure how often food is left uneaten Causes: Identify why students discard food Attitudes: Assess awareness and willingness to act Solutions: Test support for practical improvements Survey Design Format: Anonymous questionnaire Completion time: Approximately 3–5 minutes Respondents: Campus dining facility users Output: Priorities for dining-service action

Questionnaire Part 1: Dining Profile

Questionnaire Part 1: Dining Profile 1. What is your role on campus? Undergraduate / Graduate / Faculty / Staff / Other 2. How often do you eat at campus dining facilities? Daily / 4–6 times weekly / 1–3 times weekly / Less / Never 3. Which campus dining facility do you use most often? Open response 4. How often do you leave food uneaten? Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always Suggested image: Students choosing meals in a campus dining hall

Questionnaire Part 2: Waste Habits

Questionnaire Part 2: Waste Habits Amount and Food Type 5. Approximately how much food do you leave? None / Under 10% / 10%–25% / 26%–50% More than 50% 6. Which foods are most often left uneaten? Staples / Meat / Vegetables / Soup / Fruit Side dishes / Desserts / Other Causes and Choices 7. Why do you leave food uneaten? Large portions / Taste / Temperature or freshness Limited time / Over-ordering / Dietary needs Loss of appetite / Other 8. What influences your food choice most? Taste / Price / Portion / Nutrition / Appearance Recommendations / Waiting time / Environment

Questionnaire Part 3: Awareness and Attitudes

Questionnaire Part 3: Awareness and Attitudes Scale: 1 Strongly disagree · 2 Disagree · 3 Neutral · 4 Agree · 5 Strongly agree 9. Food waste is a serious problem on campus. 10. I understand the environmental effects of food waste. 11. I try to finish the food I take or order. 12. Campus dining facilities provide suitable portion sizes. 13. I support campus initiatives designed to reduce food waste.

Questionnaire Part 4: Improvement Measures

Questionnaire Part 4: Improvement Measures Operational Changes 14. Which measures would help you waste less? Smaller portions and clear portion information Better food quality and tasting before ordering Takeaway containers and food-sharing programs Meal planning and reservation systems 15. Would you buy a lower-cost smaller portion? Definitely not to definitely yes Motivation and Participation 16. Which incentive would motivate you most? Credits / Discounts / Points / Gifts / Recognition 17. Support displaying daily waste data? Yes / No / Not sure 18. Join a food-waste reduction campaign? Yes / Maybe / No

Questionnaire Part 5: Student Suggestions

Questionnaire Part 5: Student Suggestions 19. What is the main cause of food waste on your campus? 20. What should campus dining services do to reduce food waste? 21. What other comments or suggestions would you like to share?

From Survey Results to Campus Action

From Survey Results to Campus Action 1. Analyze Compare waste frequency, food types, and causes. Identify the measures with the strongest support. 2. Pilot Test smaller portions, clear serving information, and selected incentives. Collect student feedback during the trial. 3. Improve Compare food waste before and after the pilot. Expand effective measures and refine weaker ones. Goal: Turn student responses into measurable reductions in campus food waste.