SU Sustainability Management, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCCRA) and student group Students of Sustainability are hosting a screening of the new documentary “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste” on Wednesday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. in Watson Theater in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center, 316 Waverly Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m.
A panel discussion will follow the screening of the 90-minute feature film. Sustainability Management is providing refreshments. Both the film and panel are free and open to the public.
The film features influential chef, author and television personality Anthony Bourdain, who inspires viewers to think about the environmental and social impacts of food waste. Alongside Bourdain are other chefs—Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura and Danny Bowien—who are battling food waste and describe how they have discovered solutions to the problem. View the trailer here.
“This is an important and informative film and a project I’m proud to be part of,” says Bourdain, the film’s executive producer. “Chefs have been at the cutting edge of efforts to contend responsibly with the problem of food waste, perhaps because they, more than others, are painfully aware of the egregious volume of perfectly usable, nutritious food that could otherwise feed people in need, being thrown out in our restaurants.”
Food waste is not only a national problem; it is a local problem. SU campus dining centers send the leftover food scraps from student trays and back-of-the-house scraps to OCRRA’s Amboy facility to be turned into compost. “The single largest component of Onondaga County’s trash is food waste, and that is true for most areas of the country,” says OCRRA Recycling Specialist Dale Cocca. “We have an opportunity to reduce that by composting food scraps instead of throwing them out.”
Chef Massimo Botura in a scene from “Wasted!: The Story of Food Waste.”
Panelists for the post-screening discussion are Greg Gelewski, OCRRA compost operations manager; Shewa Shwani, Food Recovery Network SU/ESF president; and Melissa Cadwell, SU sustainability coordinator.
As this is a waste-free event, attendees are encouraged to bring their own mugs, cups or plates to minimize the amount of trash generated. Fruit, apple cider and cookies will be offered.
Visitor parking is in Booth Garage ($5); those with an SU parking pas may use any Orange lot for free.
For more information about sustainability at SU, visit the SU Sustainability website, follow @SustainableSU and @SOSatSU on Twitter; and check out the Syracuse University Sustainability Facebook page.
About OCRRA: OCRRA is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation created by the New York State Legislature in 1990 to deliver a comprehensive solid waste management and resource recovery system to Onondaga County residents.
OCRRA’s system includes a strong recycling and composting program; a foundation for local waste disposal at the Waste-to-Energy Facility; two convenient trash and recycling drop-off sites; a robust education component; and programs for hard to manage materials, such as household hazardous waste, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and other mercury-containing devices.
OCRRA’s award-winning programs are funded by trash drop-off fees and the sale of electricity generated at the Waste-to-Energy Facility in Jamesville. Learn more and get involved at www.OCRRA.org or follow on Facebook.
About Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.
