From creative waste-free recipes and student-led sustainability initiatives to food donations that support the local community, SBU Eats by CulinArt is transforming how food waste is addressed at Stony Brook University. Throughout April, in recognition of Earth Month and Stop Food Waste Day, SBU Eats led and supported several initiatives focused on sustainability, education and meaningful action across campus.

Food waste remains a major global issue. More than 100 billion pounds of food are wasted annually in the United States, consuming enormous amounts of natural resources, including approximately 25 percent of the nation's freshwater supply and 4 percent of its oil. Globally, food loss and waste account for nearly $1 trillion in economic losses each year.

Stop Food Waste Day, observed annually on the last Wednesday of April, encourages individuals and organizations worldwide to rethink food consumption and reduce waste.

As part of this year's efforts, Chef Morgan Elliott introduced a creative waste-free recipe for Stop Food Waste Day: a fennel barbacoa tostada with garlic-black lentils. Made with local, sustainable ingredients, the dish utilized the fennel bulb from tip to tail, demonstrating how thoughtful cooking techniques can significantly reduce food waste. Students prepared and sampled the recipe in the Teaching Kitchen while learning more about sustainability and mindful food practices.

The event also highlighted how simple ingredient choices and cooking techniques can support more sustainable food practices:

• Only 40 percent of a fennel bulb is typically used in cooking, while the rest is often discarded.
• Lentils absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit, making them one of the most sustainable crops to grow.

Throughout the academic year, SBU Eats collaborates with students through the Weigh the Waste initiative at East Side dine-in. Led by Sunrise SBU, the university's chapter of the national Sunrise Movement for environmental justice and climate activism, the initiative tracks daily food waste data to encourage more sustainable dining habits and inspire long-term behavioral change. Students use the data to educate their peers about overconsumption in all-you-care-to-eat dining environments and to advocate for expanded sustainability efforts on campus.

"You should reduce your food waste!" Sunrise SBU proclaims. "Importantly though, we hope to convey that advocacy can both be effective and also very fun. Our community is the heart of all our work and Weigh the Waste wouldn't be possible without such wonderful and dedicated people."

The initiative has also supported advocacy efforts to install two composters that will begin processing pre-consumer kitchen waste next semester. Insights gathered through Weigh the Waste also inform SBU Eats' menu planning and operational practices.

Beyond special events and student programs, SBU Eats by CulinArt remains committed to sustainability year-round. Across campus dining locations, SBU Eats utilizes eco-friendly takeout containers, engages students through sustainability education and visual awareness campaigns and implements the Waste Not 2.0 program, which helps reduce kitchen waste through staff training, tracking and food-waste measurement.

SBU Eats also partners with Careit to donate surplus food to local food pantries and community organizations. Careit is a digital food donation platform that connects organizations with local agencies that can rescue excess food before it reaches landfills. Through this partnership, Careit technology tracks environmental impact data, including reductions in carbon emissions, water savings and total food donations.

To date, SBU Eats has donated more than 4,800 pounds of food to the Seawolves Food Pantry and more than 6,500 pounds to local community partners, helping reduce waste while supporting those in need throughout the surrounding community.