Being green can be as easy as cleaning your plate. LSU Dining introduced Project Clean Plate at The 459 Commons last month to promote student awareness concerning food waste. The project aims to reduce uneaten food by having students bring clean plates to the tray returner at the   dining hall and to reduce waste by 20 percent for the week of Nov. 9 to 13.   “[Food waste] is something that happens often at all-you-can-eat places, such as The 459 Commons,” said David Heidke, LSU Dining director. “You can eat all you want. Just eat what you get.” Heidke said food waste has declined from 768 pounds to 628 pounds since the start of Project Clean Plate. “This is the first time we’ve approached [reducing food waste] this way,” Heidke said. “We decided to try 20 percent because we didn’t have history on this, and it looks like we’ll pass our goals.” LSU Dining will donate food to the Baton Rouge Food Bank if students achieve the 20 percent goal, Heidke said.   “It’s a neat way [to appeal to students],” Heidke said. “The cause is worthwhile, especially with recent times, as the demand on food banks are increasing.” Donovan Myers, physics and chemical engineering freshman, said though the donations are a good incentive, it doesn’t influence how much he eats at the dining hall. “I try not to waste food anyway, unless it’s something bad,” Myers said. Signs and banners in the dining hall remind students of the ways they can reduce their food waste, like exercising portion control, but Heidke said the project doesn’t just help the environment and local food bank. “Students will think twice about taking seconds, and it helps prevent students from eating more than they should,” Heidke said. Amy Beecher, kinesiology freshman, often tries to do her part in Project Clean Plate, which she said works and is a good way to help the environment. “If I know I’m not hungry, I watch what I get,” Beecher said. “Everyone needs to cut back on their waste.” – – – -Contact Brianna Paciorka at [email protected]