Honors College Theses

Publication Date

5-9-2024

Major

Civil Engineering (B.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Stetson Rowles

Abstract

Colleges and university campuses are among the greatest food wasters in the US due to combined over production and plate waste from consumers. While some schools have developed programs aimed at reducing and sustainably managing food waste, much of it ends up in landfills and produces greenhouse gas emissions. The overall goal of the research was to collect a comprehensive data set on university students’ food waste practices and behavior, environmental and sustainability knowledge, and environmental intentions. For probing relationships among these drivers, a structural equation model and student survey was developed. The survey of 37 questions was collected on 121 students. The model revealed that awareness of greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and awareness that sustainable food waste handling had a positive impact on environmental attitudes. The intention to practice sustainable food waste management positively impacted on the estimated food waste per meal, the effect of food waste practices, and the desire to more sustainably manage food waste. Our structural equation model will help us understand more about the food waste perceptions of the students who eat at the dining halls on campus. This work will ultimately garner significant insight about how to provoke meaningful participation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and develop sustainable food waste practices through educational information and resources.

Thesis Summary

This research will help us understand more about the food waste perceptions of the students who eat at the dining halls on campus. This work will ultimately garner significant insight about how to provoke meaningful participation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and develop sustainable food waste practices through educational information and resources.

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