'Weigh the Waste' for sustainability awareness

Student Taylor Saucier and Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley weigh food and waste from lunch diners at Fresh Foods.
Photo by Lizzy Powers

October 10, 2017

Sophomore Taylor Saucier, left, a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Mandeville, Louisiana, and MSU Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley weigh food and other waste left over from lunches Monday [Oct. 9] at the Fresh Food Company. Organizers aimed to raise awareness with the tally as part of Campus Sustainability Month, celebrated internationally. From 813 patrons who participated in the food weigh-in, volunteers classified the waste into edible food (33 percent); non-edible food, such as banana peels or chicken bones (10 percent); drinks and ice (53 percent); and non-food/trash, such as napkins and straws (5 percent). Also planned for this week is a "Green Week Fair" Oct. 11. For more on campus sustainability, visit http://www.opdca.msstate.edu/sustainability/.