It seemed as though every tray being returned to the kitchen had enough food left on it to provide someone with another complete meal.

In some ways I feel like a hypocrite.

I remember when I first ate on campus. It seemed as though there was a never-ending supply of food, so it didn't matter how much I piled on my plate -- even though I wasn't necessarily going to eat it all. Sometimes I even felt as though I was paying so much for the meal that I should take as much as I could. I now know better. This time I wondered where my food was going and if Penn State even realized how much food was being wasted. I searched and found the answers.

Recently the Penn State Indicators Report was published to assess where Penn State fell in regards to sustainability. As defined in the report, "a sustainable university is one whose lone long-term prospect for continuing to exist is good; specifically, such a university behaves in ways that sustain the integrity and biodiversity of the local and planetary ecosystems upon which all life depends."

It is also defined as a "University whose core values include: respect for the biota and natural processes, mindfulness of place, living within planetary limits, accounting for full costs, and civic responsibility." I was happy to find that this is the kind of university Penn State is striving to become.

The report was organized by students, as well as faculty mentors. It analyzed aspects such as energy, water, food and transportation.

I was in luck. An entire study had been conducted on the exact questions I was asking myself concerning the utilization of food in the dining commons, as well as the effects on our environment.

According to the report, waste in the dining halls occurs when food is not fully utilized and thrown away, or when the tableware used to serve food is discarded. In 1997, an estimated 294 tons of food was wasted in our university dining commons. It scares me to think that while 11 million people in the United States go hungry each year, we, as educated adults, continue to waste. But there is still a larger loss at stake here.

Every time food is discarded, all of the energy, labor, processing and transport associated with that food is discarded as well. In addition, there is a tipping fee of $48 per ton, which the university is obligated to pay in order to dispose of the waste. So what are the solutions? Are they attainable? Luckily there are solutions, many of which are well within the reach of our helping hands.

Penn State recently developed project Earth Grow, which is a university-wide effort to compost food waste from several university dining commons. Nearly 100 percent of the waste generated in mean preparation by the kitchen staff, along with paper napkins and lower numbers of "throw away" flatware is currently being composted.

Although a significant portion of the food continues to be wasted, the steps which we are now taking are significant in our movement toward sustainability.

Since a diet that is sustainable needs to meet the needs of both the health of the individual and the health of the environment. The Indicators Report states dining hall waste is just one piece of the puzzle. Other factors include dining hall food choices, food purchasing policies and research on food sustainability.

By now you are probably thinking, "where do I come in?" There are very simple steps that each and every one of us could take in order to considerably decrease food waste and help promote a happy, healthy, sustainable Penn State.

My suggestions on campus eating are:

-- Reduce waste: Take only what you know you can eat. You can always go back for more.

--- Cut down on wasteful packaged goods: Try to consume a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables that is also lower in meat products, refined sugars and fats.

-- Think: Think about the money involved and how you can affect the big picture. With a little knowledge and a touch of effort we can maintain a prosperous university and food system for generations to come.