Project: Clean Plate--Keeping hunger in mind.

What are you doing to stop food waste? Are you keeping hunger in mind?

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 854 million people do not have enough to eat. To put that into perspective, that number is more than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union. Consequently, hunger and poverty claim 25,000 lives every day.

UW-W Dining Services will combat the global food waste problem by promoting Project: Clean Plate, a program that provides awareness to international hunger and helps students focus globally and act locally to combat hunger, reduce waste, save energy and initiate real change. It is designed to reduce overall food waste in all-you-can-eat campus dining operation.

Project: Clean Plate will be implemented at Esker Dining Hall the week of Jan. 30, 2012. Esker Dining Hall will keep track of the food waste amount each week. The goal will be to reduce the waste amount from week to week. Results will be tracked and posted on UW-W Dining Services’ Facebook page, Twitter page and on their website.

What can YOU do to combat hunger and poverty? Take a proactive approach within our campus community with the following:

• Exercise portion control:
• There are large and small soup bowls—please use the one that matches your appetite.
• Not so hungry? Just take half of a sandwich.
• Did you know that you can fix half of a waffle?
• Not sure about a menu item? Try a sample first!
• Eat with your stomach, not your eyes! You can always go back for more.
• For added taste, use condiments.
• Wait to get dessert until you have finished.

Hunger and poverty affects people worldwide, but we need to realize that we can help people in our own community! At the end of Project: Clean Plate, UW-W Dining Services will make a donation to the Whitewater Food Pantry to combat hunger and support the community.

Questions? Contact Ann Wick at wicka@uww.edu