Ask the Expert: Food Waste and Behavior Change

During Waste Reduction Week, UK Recycling interns organized a documentary screening on food waste – Just Eat It. It’s free on YouTube, so go watch it!

Sometimes documentaries can seem overwhelming and leave us feeling hopeless. We decided to provide a little hope for you and ask a panel of experts some questions to help us navigate this large and problematic challenge.

Dr. Tony Stallins is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Environmental and Sustainability Studies major program, and a professor in Geography and ENS. His research focuses on plant and animal geographies, biogeography, and climate change. Here’s what he had to say.

Are there any efforts in Lexington to help make the food waste issue more visible? Have they been successful?

My students in ENS 202 are creating social nudges that aim to promote dining hall behaviors that lessen food waste. Some of the social nudges they came up with ranged from having public-facing compost bins easiest to access, with trash cans being further away, or having all food portion controlled instead of a self-serve buffet.

As individuals, what do you think is the largest step we can take to lessen our footprint in terms of the food we consume?

The largest step we can take to reduce the footprint or environmental cost of the food we consume is to grow a little of our own. It doesn’t have to be a big garden nor a lot of food, but with little effort, you can supplement your diet. Even if it is just a pot of basil or a single cherry tomato plant, it’s a step forward. 

Also, being aware that it is sometimes better for the environment if some foods are grown at scale is important. A wide range of food systems is the best strategy we have for adjusting our food footprint.

What do you see as the most pressing issue coming out of this dilemma of global food waste?

When we see that the costs of food waste circle back to have economic effects upon us, that will be an important moment of recognition. Waste here means less somewhere else. If someone is without elsewhere, in a connected world, other problems are going to emerge and circle back around to here. Some don’t think about food waste because there are no direct punitive outcomes for doing so.