Palmetto Report

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — To kick off campus sustainability month, Winthrop University’s Office of Sustainability is hosting an event called Weigh the Waste, in order to draw attention to the issue of food waste. It’s estimated that 30 to 40 percent of the food supply is wasted, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which means billions of pounds of food ultimately ends up in landfills. Chris Johnson, Winthrop sustainability coordinator, said last semester the school collected over 300 pounds of food during the Weigh the Waste event. “It sounds like a lot, but at the same time it’s just bringing attention to it, that is the most critical part of the program,” said Johnson.