Efforts to reduce waste and conserve water in University Dining have been largely successful this year, Randy Lait, business officer for University Dining, said.The recycling of thousands of pounds of used cooking oil to produce biofuel and the elimination of trays in dining facilities has cut food waste, Lait said. “Having no tray meant you really had to get what you wanted,” he said. “With a tray, people tended to get a lot of things and then take it back to their seat and not eat all of it.”The University conserves about 6,000 gallons of water per week by not washing trays.A “just-in-time” automated food ordering system and batch cooking, in which more food is cooked only when needed, are also used to make sure food waste is kept to a minimum, according to Lait.Elin Arnaudin, a senior in environmental sciences, said while she was pleased with the reduction in food waste, further steps should be taken.”We have a composting facility, but they can only do yard waste there,” she said.Arnaudin said a food waste audit that would reveal the daily amount of garbage collected at the dining halls to the students who use them, could make students more aware of the environmental impact of their actions.”Any way they can get students involved to participate is good,” she said. “We’re the ones consuming it, and we’re the ones paying for it.”Bobby Mills, a senior in political science and economics, said projects such as the annual All Carolinas’ Meal, comprised entirely of items from or processed in North and South Carolina, show that the University is making a conscious effort towards improving sustainability.”They’re definitely moving in the right direction, but there’s always more work that can be done,” Mills, a member of the Wolfpack Environmental Student Association, said.