Factors other than environmental issues influence resource allocation decisions of school foodservice directors

To identify resource allocation decisions and policies and procedures used by school foodservice directors that were based on the concepts of pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development.

A questionnaire about operational characteristics (including equipment and production systems, menu selection and service style) and environmental issues was mailed to school foodservice directors.

Subjects were school foodservice directors in major cities who were members of the American School Food Service Association. Of the 389 questionnaires mailed, 168 (45.5%) were returned and used for data analysis.

Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and correlation were used to analyze data.

Cost factors were rated more important (P < or = .05) than environmental factors when operational decisions were made. Labor was ranked as the most important future issue by 45.0% of respondents, but it was not the most important factor when current operational decisions were made. Less than 20.0% of the respondents indicated that their districts had specific water (3.3%), energy (14.2%), or solid waste management policies (16.0%). However, 62.6% of respondents stated that their district had a recycling program.

With the exception of recycling programs, school foodservice departments have not adopted a framework of pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development practices. Recycling and energy conservation programs and use of locally grown food products would minimize the environmental impact of school foodservice operations while reducing operational costs.