Sustainability has turned into a prominent focus across all sectors, and school or institutional cafeterias are no different. But as far as what roles the cafeteria staff can take on to help lead a sustainable lifestyle.

It might be hard to assign an exact point value. However, we can paint a picture to identify the areas cafeteria staff can impact sustainability, and how those parts add up.

Key Areas Where Cafeteria Staff Impact Sustainability

1. Waste Reduction

Cafeteria staff often are the first line of defense against food waste. In many cases, the cafeteria staff helps reduce food waste by:

• Planning portions,
• Reusing leftovers safely,
• Prompting students or audiences to not waste,

Clearly, they are at the forefront of reducing food that goes to landfills.

Did you know? Almost 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, and kitchen staff fight against this responsibly on a daily basis!

2. Recycling and Composting

Cafeteria staff, usually always will separate waste, recycle packaging, and manage compost respectively. Even just separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste can make a huge difference to your school’s carbon footprint.

3. Sourcing & Purchasing

A great number of cafeteria staff have discretion over purchasing, and buy:

• locally sourced products,
• orgainic products,
• less aggressive packaging.

All of these support environmental health and reduce green house gases from transportation.

4. Energy and Water Reduction

Kitchen operations use lots of energy and water. When staff,

• Turn off appliances that aren’t in use
• Track fridge/freezer use
• Use energy saving dishwashers or taps

It makes a low profile but measurable impact.

What is the Actual Percentage?

There is no universal measure from institution to institution, but various sustainability audits demonstrate that kitchen and cafeteria operations represent upwards of 25 – 40% of a school’s sustainability practices as a whole.

Then out of that mark-up for operational daily use of cafeteria staff is weighing in around 10-15% of total sustainable practices. These numbers change depending on where you are, what policies are in place, and staff training, but the impact is real and rising.

How to Increase Their Sustainable Contribution

Cafeteria staff can grow into so much more than what role they are currently filling by:

• Joining sustainability training
• Starting food recovery or donation programs
• Advocating for reusable dishware
• Working with sustainability coordinators
• Encouraging plant-based meals

FAQs

1. Do Cafeteria Staff Receive Training on Sustainability?

Training is an important element. There are some institutions that provide training on sustainability, while others do not provide it as a priority.

2. Are cafeteria staff trained on sustainable and eco-friendly practices?

In better funded schools and organizations the answer is, yes. In others, the staff will do what they can, but there are no guidelines to follow.

3. Do menus contribute to sustainable practices?

Menus can and do determine the carbon footprint of the meals that are served. For example, substituting lentils for beef to dramatically cut emissions.

4. Are cafeteria staff allowed to choose sustainable suppliers?

Sometimes. When empowered to do so, they can purchase from local farms or use sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging to go with their products.

5. How do the daily habits of cafeteria staff reflect on their personal sustainability?

Even though the majority of the sustainable imprints or impact come from their job, some staff take this home with them, are active in the composting of their food, reuse their container sometimes, and are mindful about food.

Conclusion

Cafeteria staff rarely get the credit for their environmental impact, but they are a crucial part of the equation for sustainability. Considering food choices, waste reduction, and daily habits to change, their influence is much greater than it appears.

With better resources, training, and institutional support, this level of sustainability could increase even more.

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