Food waste processing facility visit

There was an event to visit a cafeteria where they collect and separate food waste (leftover food, inedible parts of ingredients and unused ingredients) and bring it to a anaerobic methane production facility instead of dumping it to landfill. It is a serious problem all over the world that one third of food produced never gets eaten because a lot of food is wasted somewhere, while people are suffering from hunger somewhere else.

The food waste processing facility produces methane gas through anaerobic fermentation of food waste. It provides the university with electricity. It's a commercial-scale, real setting to make ends meet. One of the cafeterias has a "closed system", where food waste is collected, brought to the facility, used either for producing methane gas or compost to make fertilizer. The fertilizer is going to be used in the organic farm to grow vegetables, and the produce will be used to prepare food again at the cafeteria.

What was shocking to me was that students return used dishes and cutleries on trays at the cafeteria, and the staff in the back separate remaining food, separate cups, dishes, and cutleries, through away paper napkins, etc. The students do not do it by themselves! Several staff members were working in line, one separating, one rinsing, one putting the dishes in the washer, etc. It's a touch job because they need to keep up with the fast, continuous pace of the tray return table, and the smell... Oh my gosh, it smells nothing but leftover food, all kinds mixed together. I think it'd be better for students (cafeteria users) to separate garbage, rinse the dishes and return them by themselves because that way they do not need to hire staff to just do it, and the students will be more conscious about how much they waste food every time they eat.

That kind of way of thinking is instilled in me probably because I've always done so at school cafeterias or the company one. That idea may only be feasible when almost everyone will obey the rule and neatly tidy up after eating. It may be hard to expect everyone to do the same thing in this diverse environment where people have different views on hygiene, cleanliness, and organization. Look at how dirty the shared microwave is! It's disgusting. Why don't you cover your food when you know that it's going to splatter!? Why don't you wipe the splash from your food after using it? Those kind of things really surprises me, and by instinct I know that even if I clean the microwave, it will be dirty again in a week or so. I had to lower my standard for hygiene with everyday life. I'm living in a country where people don't take off shoes in the house, don't wash hands after coming home, and put their legs on the table, at the very place they eat!

Anyway, it was good to see how they operate the closed system. I think it should be introduced to all the cafeterias to reduce landfill. But moreover, how about reducing the serving size at restaurants? Portion is huge in the US, and it seems so much food is wasted even though some people take leftover food home. Seemingly buffet style leads to a lot of uneaten food as well, but maybe not. I need to do research on that. I hope there will be more actions to reduce food waste despite all the challenges ahead.