Food waste is an environmental issue on all scales. Various universities within the US have begun implementing food waste programs, but our project is to make composting a nationally mandated program for all colleges.  To implement this nationally, our number one goal is to create a Federal food waste management policy. To accomplish this, we must additionally establish committees at each university. 

Nationwide, 22 million pounds of waste is contributed by food annually on college campuses (Hutchinson, 2023). The United States as whole throws out about $165 billion in food waste. Overall, about 30-40% of food is not eaten and goes to waste (Flynn, 2022). At the same time many people go hungry throughout the United States or lack access to fresh food and proper nutrition. Here lies many issues on all scales, economic, environmental, and social. This being said, as a country especially on college campuses, we are not working sustainably when it comes to our food and the waste it contributes. 

Many colleges and universities use a buffet style in their dining halls. This can contribute to students taking more than they need or than they will eat. The food that is then left over is thrown into the garbage and sent to landfills which contributes negatively to the environment. Not only does the food emit methane as it sits in landfills, but also contributes to CO2 emissions that are wasted that were used to contribute to the production of the food, transportation, as well as the storage that was required to keep the food (Buzby, 2022). 

“EPA estimated that each year, U.S. food loss and waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (million MTCO2e) GHG emissions (excluding landfill emissions) – equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants. This estimate does not include the significant methane emissions from food waste rotting in landfills (Buzby, 2022).” Many people do not realize the effects that negatively impact the environment when it comes to wasted food. The lack of education contributes to the influence of waste, simply due to the fact there is a lack of understanding. By adding composting programs into all college campuses, a huge positive outcome could be made in all aspects of the sustainability hierarchy. Many individuals would also learn more on the topic of waste management and bring these practices into their lives post college. 

• Food waste within landfills generates large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas up to 25 times more powerful than CO2.

• Producing food that ultimately goes uneaten wastes water, energy, and land resources that could have been used more sustainably.

• Composting converts food waste into nutrient-rich soil that can be used for campus gardens. 

• The food waste in the US is so high that the EPA estimates our emissions to be equivalent to a staggering 42 coal-fired power plants every year. 

• Composting saves colleges money by reducing landfill costs.

The Federal Government at this time is doing severe budget cuts at an attempt to reduce national debt, and lowering interest rates. The sector that covers "Natural resources and environment" category is ranked the lowest percentage for current government funding. It is an applicable assumption to assume the government wouldn't be willing to fund towards this nation-wide project.