Column by Jordan Knotts

As an employee over the last year for UK Catering Services, I have been on campus a great deal, and acquired a much greater appreciation for how many different organizations and events take place around the university everyday. I have realized how much UK has to offer, and how busy the campus really is, even when classes are not in session. And now that I am a senior reflecting back on the past three years, I have noticed the progress UK has made.

UK has grown immensely every year, not just in the number of buildings or the sheer number of students, but the strides they have made to becoming more ‘green’. Since arriving here in the fall of 2006, I have adopted more and more of these ‘green’ practices. From recycling, to turning off the lights or televisions in my house when not in use, I feel as if these small acts are making a difference. But no matter how ‘green’ UK may be, there is always room for improvement. That is where my job comes into play. I was told if I wrote this column that I would no longer have a job, but I guess you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, so here it goes.

When I started working for UK Catering, I found myself in leftover heaven. Every night I would ride my bike home, performing a juggling act with pans of leftovers. Upon reaching home, I would be greeted by my roommates and friends as if I were Santa Claus, and the pans of leftovers were a never-ending bag of presents. But things changed about four or five months ago, and the employees were only allowed to take home one plate per person. So instead of packing all the leftovers up, now they were being thrown away in mass amounts. As much as it disgusted me, I knew that I had to abide by the rules and throw away the food. But slowly and surely, it began to make me more and more angry every time I had to visit the dumpster with the leftovers.

In UK Catering’s defense, I know there are all types of regulations and laws set by the state and Health Department concerning what can and cannot be done with leftovers. Mainly, if food has been sitting out for a certain amount of time or was on the line, it is not allowed to be given away, because if someone gets sick, they are the ones that are legally liable. But that is why I am willing to lose my job over this topic. I can no longer stand in the kitchen and throw away pounds upon pounds of food I know there is nothing wrong with.

I was raised to finish everything on my plate and to never waste food. And because of the way I was raised, it strongly opposes my morals and beliefs to do just that. I know that UK Catering is just one business amongst thousands of restaurants that have to throw out food every day, but as a university striving to be ‘green,’ something must change. We must reevaluate the way we manage how much food to cook, or the ways which we dispose of it, rather than make no use of the leftovers. Since discussing the matter with my superiors has not brought any change, I turn to anyone who will listen, for the waste of food in this country is far too great. I hope my opinion on the subject brings about some change in the future, for it is likely I will be hungry and searching for a new job, one where I do not have to witness such an unbearable act as throwing food away.