Pick Your Portion

Did you know the average UNC student brings about a quarter pound of food to the dish return each meal period? ReFED, a food-waste focused nonprofit, estimates that 70% of the food waste that occurs in foodservice establishments is at the post-consumer level (after the food has been served to the guest). The Pick Your Portion campaign aims to reduce food waste by encouraging students to request the portion size that best fits their needs – whether it’s half, standard, or double. This helps our team to serve the appropriate amount of food, reducing the chance for leftover food to be sent to the dish return.

We launched Pick Your Portion in Spring 2023, and saw a 17% reduction in food waste per person based on our Wipe Out Waste Data!