Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 74.78
Liaison Daryl Pierson
Submission Date March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

Portland State University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Heather Spalding
Sustainability Leadership and Outreach Coordinator
PSU
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Yes

Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Yes

Name of the campaign:
No Scrap Left Behind

A brief description of the campaign:

Mission
The No Scrap Left Behind (NSLB) program raises awareness about wasted food on campus through interactive activities and outreach that provide practical solutions for the PSU community.

Vision
At PSU, we aim to create sustainable food systems that nourish people and the environment, build community, and foster collaboration among key partners on campus. Using the EPA’s food recovery hierarchy, we prioritize:
-Reduction of food waste through food choices, portioning and awareness.
-Donating any uneaten food to those in need.
-Recycling any wasted oil for energy recovery.
-Composting any food that is unable to be utilized or donated.
-The NSLB program supports this vision by working at the highest points in the hierarchy--source reduction--and sparking dialogue and engagement around food waste issues

Program Goals
-To engage the campus in issues of wasted food and its impact on our environment, economy, and society.
-To develop innovative food waste reduction solutions and build skills around food portioning, preparation, and storage.
-To help inform food service providers on campus about opportunities to reduce food waste through portioning, menu options, food donation, and partnering with students and faculty groups.
-To gather data on food waste and student engagement that can ultimately inform a broader, collaborative Sustainable Food Action Plan for the PSU campus.

No Scrap Left Behind began in Fall 2015 and was designed and piloted at Portland State University based on programs at numerous other universities including the UC Davis Love Food, Don’t Waste program. We’ve run food waste buffets quarterly to highlight uneaten food at our dining hall during the lunch hour, share resources with students, and capture survey data to inform perceptions about wasted food. At the end of each day, the amount of leftover student food scraps generated during the lunch period (11am-1pm) is weighed and composted to help us better understand the impacts of the buffet over the course of a week.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:

No Scrap Left Behind (NSLB) is a week long event that occurs each term at our student dining facility (Victor's). This engagement activity provides Campus Sustainability Office staff and volunteers an opportunity to highlight and discuss the volume of post-consumer food waste generated by patrons during the lunch period (11:30am to 1pm). By showcasing the food in a buffet style setting, our intention is to bring attention to and raise awareness around the importance of taking appropriate serving sizes when dining on campus.

Additionally, we have partnered with faculty through our Living Labs program to provide students an opportunity to research the impacts of wasted food and create educational outreach materials and messaging campaigns to change the behaviors of users at this dining facility on campus. By tracking these behaviors, we can identify trends that will better support our efforts in reducing the amount of waste generated from this dining experience.

NSLB Weekly Totals and Weight Per Day Average for Academic Year 2018/2019
Fall 2018 - 219 lbs. post-consumer food waste (43.8 lbs. per day average)
Winter 2019 - 175.5 lbs. post-consumer food waste (35.1 lbs. per day average)
Spring 2019 - 158 lbs. post-consumer food waste (31.6 lbs. per day average)


Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Climate Champions

A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):

A survey was sent to every department at Portland State University that outlined best practices in:
-energy and water
-conservation
-transportation
-waste pervention
-purchasing
-event planning

Over 40 departments completed the survey. The Campus Sustainability Office met with departments who completed the survey providing information and resources for departments to improve their ratings.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):

Areas that we have seen successful change:
-Recycling and composting
-Healthy offices
-Energy conservation
-Event Planning


A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.