Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) staff members Jenni Alden and Vidya Sivan have teamed up with Sodexo manager Jayne Raffo to improve "back of the house" recycling in the food preparation kitchens at HKS. All members of the HKS Green Team, the three have worked together on a number of strategies: identifying which products currently being used by Sodexo can be recycled; purchasing and setting up recycle bins; creating signage; and training Sodexo staff.
"It's cut down on the kitchen trash tremendously," says Sivan, communications coordinator in the Office of External Affairs. "When you think about all of the events at the School and all of the food that's prepared, this also makes sense economically, since disposing of trash costs the school more than recycling."
The team intends to expand and maintain the program by translating signage into Spanish and through continuing staff training. "The Sodexo staff has been great," Sivan adds. "They were excited to help, which made it fun."
This also makes sense economically, since disposing of trash costs the school more than recycling.