Weighing The Wasted

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi State (MSU) is working with students to prevent food waste and Christine Lashley helped MSU hold “Weigh the Waste” Thursday, November 8.

She says her job is to reinforce smarter choices to students.

“Students are just coming in here like normal, filling their plate as much as they want, and wasting a lot of food,” said Lashley. “So the more we’re here reminding them don’t waste food, take smaller portions, eat all of your food, it will help form those habits.”

Not only does Mississippi contribute to national food waste, but the state also has food deserts where produce and fresh vegetables are not available.

Lashley says students should be aware of that.

“Where we do have those don’t waste them,” said Lashley. “And especially around the holidays where people are food insecure, food waste just contributes to that, because we’re producing all of this food and then it’s just going in a landfill.”

And as a journalism major at MSU, Emma Moffett, says she understands the food crisis through published articles she’s read.

That’s changed how she views excess or leftover food.

“In the past I really haven’t considered what I would do with it” said Moffett. “I feel like I would just put that on the hands of other people and maybe even let it get thrown away, but this year especially knowing more and more about the food crisis in Mississippi I want to make sure to make a personal effort that that food can either go to people that I know in need or potentially if it’s canned goods that they could go to a shelter of some sort.”

The giving spirit is a part of the holiday season.

MSU student, Jasmine Daniels says big family meals could lead to being wasteful without realizing it.

“Usually if we have like family members that are done with food or things then we’ll package it up for the next day,” said Daniels. “But it’s really kind of I guess like a wasteful thing if we don’t want to eat it the second or third day then they threw it away.”