In my experience one of the most successful tools to achieving your goals is a methodology called parallel access.

If you want to tackle the issue of composting or food waste, reach out to farmers and include them in your discussions. You might be amazed at how much more successful your efforts are.

What do you buy? Is it the same thing you bought 10 years ago? 20 years ago? Is it packaged the same way? Do you buy it from the same place? Chances are, the answer is no.

Recycling is a manufacturing process. The recyclable materials we collect are commodities and like any commodities there are ebbs and flows in supply and demand.

Who or what are you feeding with your dining dollars? Perhaps focusing on the answer to that question will help you meet your foodservice sustainability goals.

Imagine you are a wide-eyed 18-year-old presented with one of the first major decisions of your life. What makes you choose one campus over another?

Have your recycling markets gotten more restrictive in recent months? Are you struggling to explain the new recycling rules to the public? The answer may be “outthrows”.

When you contract for services, an important question is who owns your waste and recycling infrastructure? Do you expect your contractor to provide that infrastructure? Or do you own that infrastructure and provide it to your contractor to use during the term of the contract? It can become an important consideration.

A recycling program is made up of many different pieces. As you grow your program, one of the biggest challenges is making sure those pieces fit together into an effective system.