New Dining Policies to save food and dishes

On March 26, 1984, Dickinson College Food Service instituted two new policies regarding serving of food. A person must bring his original plate back for seconds and may obtain only one entree at a time. Michael Netto, Director of Food Service, instituted these policies to cut down excessive food waste and dishroom overload. A survey conducted in coordination with Phi Kappa Sigma revealed that over $111,380 worth of food was discarded each day. Conservation of dinnerware was also a primary concern, as the number of plates returning to the dishroom caused an overload the dishwasher couldn't handle.

The policies obtained noticeable results, with Dining Services "using up to 100 pounds less of certain items," said Netto. Student responses to these changes were generally negative, to which Netto responded that "These changes are contemplated for long periods of time before they are initiated and implemented. They are not something we do out of spite."