April has arrived, igniting a spirited competition at Nevada Dining: The WasteNot Competition. This competition, taking place at the dining hall Pack Place, is a friendly showdown between students and staff in the battle against food waste.  

With the competition already in full swing since April 1, excitement is building up as the grand finale on Stop Food Waste Day approaches. But how exactly is Nevada Dining tracking its progress? Enter WasteNot 2.0—a sophisticated food waste tracking system that's revolutionizing waste reduction. Built by chefs for chefs, WasteNot 2.0 enables kitchen teams to identify waste reduction opportunities that go beyond typical trim, bones, core and peel waste. The digital platform offers managers with intuitive tools to analyze data and measure and report the carbon impact of kitchen waste to develop long-lasting solutions to fight against food waste. At Nevada Dining, culinary teams use WasteNot 2.0 daily to measure and track wasted food. Through this initiative, Nevada Dining gains insights into overproduction averages, facilitating better analysis and strategies for waste reduction. 

So, how does this competition work? It's pretty straightforward: Nevada Dining is challenging both students and staff to be mindful of their food waste. Each week leading up to Stop Food Waste Day, Pack Place staff are keeping tabs on how much food gets tossed out at the dining hall. But this competition isn't just about winning bragging rights. It's about something much bigger: creating a culture of sustainability right here on campus. By raising awareness and encouraging action, Nevada Dining hopes to make a lasting impact on the environment. Alongside the satisfaction of reducing the environmental footprint, there's an exciting reward. If the students win the competition, Nevada Dining has pledged to host meal plan holders a dinner extravaganza at Pack Place at the end of the semester! 

WasteNot 2.0 isn't just a competition; it's a call to action. It challenges every member of the Pack to be mindful of their food consumption and waste habits. Follow along on Instagram for weekly updates and sustainability-focused giveaways all month long. For more on Nevada Dining sustainability initiatives, visit Dine on Campus.