Students waste less, want more
60 percent less waste; 10 percent more students eating; savings unclear
Whitney A. Stewart
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
Students are throwing away as much as 60 percent less food since they started eating in the new dining room, said Saga, Inc., General Manager Kevin Kirwan.
When Saga managers eliminated lunch trays in the move from Curtiss Dining Hall to the Knorr Family Dining Hall in January, they hoped Hillsdale students would mimic trends of other tray-cutting colleges and cut waste.
Their wishes came true.
"It's the clean plate club," Kirwan said. "They're eating what they're taking. They're not overindulging, if you will."
But Saga staff also said they don't know how many dollars are actually being saved. Since the move, they have had to feed more money into increased meal production because more students eat in the dining room.
Saga President Tim Morrison said meal attendance has risen 10 percent overall since January.
"That's a lot," he said. "That equates to about 1,030 additional meals per week eaten this semester over last semester."
Additionally, attendance at meals has not tapered as expected after initial excitement over the new cafeteria died, Kirwan said.
Students are cleaning their plates, and more of them are doing it. Add higher costs of food due to increased fuel prices, and Morrison said it could be some time before he knows exactly how much money - if any - Saga saves on its grocery bill.
"We know that there's less waste, but because the students are eating more, it's hard to know what it means in dollars and cents," Morrison said. "We know there's a savings, but the increased cost of the extra meals is overriding that. And food costs are at an all-time high."
Unknown food savings raises the question of whether or not Saga's $20,000 reimbursement on student ID cards at the beginning of this semester was wise. Kirwan said he doesn't regret it.
"I think it was a soothing solution to solve the sting of going trayless," he said, "and the pleasant thing is that the sting wasn't all that painful anyway."
When Saga managers eliminated lunch trays in the move from Curtiss Dining Hall to the Knorr Family Dining Hall in January, they hoped Hillsdale students would mimic trends of other tray-cutting colleges and cut waste.
Their wishes came true.
"It's the clean plate club," Kirwan said. "They're eating what they're taking. They're not overindulging, if you will."
But Saga staff also said they don't know how many dollars are actually being saved. Since the move, they have had to feed more money into increased meal production because more students eat in the dining room.
Saga President Tim Morrison said meal attendance has risen 10 percent overall since January.
"That's a lot," he said. "That equates to about 1,030 additional meals per week eaten this semester over last semester."
Additionally, attendance at meals has not tapered as expected after initial excitement over the new cafeteria died, Kirwan said.
Students are cleaning their plates, and more of them are doing it. Add higher costs of food due to increased fuel prices, and Morrison said it could be some time before he knows exactly how much money - if any - Saga saves on its grocery bill.
"We know that there's less waste, but because the students are eating more, it's hard to know what it means in dollars and cents," Morrison said. "We know there's a savings, but the increased cost of the extra meals is overriding that. And food costs are at an all-time high."
Unknown food savings raises the question of whether or not Saga's $20,000 reimbursement on student ID cards at the beginning of this semester was wise. Kirwan said he doesn't regret it.
"I think it was a soothing solution to solve the sting of going trayless," he said, "and the pleasant thing is that the sting wasn't all that painful anyway."
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