Tigers for the Planet: Eat Smart, Waste Less
Faculty Mentor Name
Staff Mentor: Kelsey Drais, Jessica Bilecki
Research or Creativity Area
Other
Abstract
Tigers for the Planet: Eat Smart, Waste Less is a student-led initiative organized by University of the Pacific Sustainability student workers, in collaboration with Bon Appétit Dining Services and Residential Life and Housing. Hosted at the DeRosa University Center Marketplace, the campaign consisted of six pop-up events from October 2025 to February 2026 aimed at reducing food waste, improving waste sorting, and promoting environmental awareness in campus dining.
The campaign engaged 1,101 dining participants and collected 247.33 pounds of waste, of which 204.11 pounds were composted or recycled, achieving an overall waste diversion rate of 82.5%. Diversion rates remained above 80% in four of six events, with the highest at 97.9% during the inaugural October event. Semester-over-semester comparison showed a 3.3 percentage point improvement from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026, suggesting repeated exposure positively influenced waste-sorting behavior. Average waste per person fluctuated between 2.85 and 4.37 oz, with lower per-person waste in later events indicating improved consumption awareness.
Findings indicate high-attendance themed events correlated with increased landfill waste, pointing to the need for greater volunteer staffing during peak periods. Student engagement grew across successive events, with participants demonstrating increased confidence in waste sorting and shifting toward broader sustainability discussions. This initiative demonstrates that consistent, peer-led programming within campus dining can drive measurable behavioral change.
Purpose
This campaign investigated whether a recurring, peer-led behavioral intervention within a campus dining environment could produce measurable improvements in food waste diversion rates and waste-sorting accuracy over time. We hypothesized that repeated exposure to structured sustainability programming, combined with real-time waste measurement and student engagement, would improve sorting compliance and reduce per-person waste generation. Student workers and volunteers set up a pop-up station adjacent to the dish return area during Thursday and Friday dinner services and themed dining events, educating students on proper waste sorting while manually sorting and weighing waste streams across six events spanning two semesters.
Results
Across six events from October 2025 to February 2026, 1,101 participants were engaged and 247.33 pounds of waste were collected, of which 204.11 pounds were composted or recycled, producing an overall diversion rate of 82.5%. Diversion rates exceeded 80% in four of six events, with the highest at 97.9% and the lowest at 76.9% on November 21, which recorded the greatest landfill waste at 18.81 pounds. Rates improved from 80.7% in Fall 2025 to 84.0% in Spring 2026, and average waste per person declined from 4.22 oz to 2.90 oz by the final event.
Significance
Food waste generates methane in landfills while compost diversion supports soil health and reduces synthetic fertilizer reliance, mitigating environmental and public health risks. Higher diversion rates reduce institutional disposal costs. Beyond waste sorting, this initiative created a student feedback channel with Bon Appétit Dining Services to inform menu adjustments, linking sustainability to institutional decision-making. These findings offer a replicable model for other institutions and will be shared with the Office of Sustainability, Bon Appétit, and Residential Life and Housing.
Tigers for the Planet: Eat Smart, Waste Less
Tigers for the Planet: Eat Smart, Waste Less is a student-led initiative organized by University of the Pacific Sustainability student workers, in collaboration with Bon Appétit Dining Services and Residential Life and Housing. Hosted at the DeRosa University Center Marketplace, the campaign consisted of six pop-up events from October 2025 to February 2026 aimed at reducing food waste, improving waste sorting, and promoting environmental awareness in campus dining.
The campaign engaged 1,101 dining participants and collected 247.33 pounds of waste, of which 204.11 pounds were composted or recycled, achieving an overall waste diversion rate of 82.5%. Diversion rates remained above 80% in four of six events, with the highest at 97.9% during the inaugural October event. Semester-over-semester comparison showed a 3.3 percentage point improvement from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026, suggesting repeated exposure positively influenced waste-sorting behavior. Average waste per person fluctuated between 2.85 and 4.37 oz, with lower per-person waste in later events indicating improved consumption awareness.
Findings indicate high-attendance themed events correlated with increased landfill waste, pointing to the need for greater volunteer staffing during peak periods. Student engagement grew across successive events, with participants demonstrating increased confidence in waste sorting and shifting toward broader sustainability discussions. This initiative demonstrates that consistent, peer-led programming within campus dining can drive measurable behavioral change.
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