George Mason University announced on May 7 that it has received a grant of more than $1 million from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to support food waste prevention, food rescue, and composting programs on campus. The funding aims to help the university reduce landfill methane emissions by decreasing food waste, recovering surplus food, and composting any remaining waste.
The initiative is significant as George Mason received the second-largest award among Virginia’s higher education institutions. The grant is part of nearly $8 million distributed by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to 12 colleges and universities across the state. Funding comes through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program.
With this support, University Sustainability and Mason Dining will lead a campus-wide effort that includes creating a dedicated Food Rescue Hub, implementing artificial intelligence technology in dining halls to identify and prevent food waste, and adding staff and infrastructure for expanded composting operations. These efforts are designed not only to cut down on trash but also address student food insecurity.
Improvements will be made to existing composting operations at George Mason. The university increased its composting rate from 49 tons in fiscal year 2020 to 298 tons in fiscal year 2024. However, an audit found that about three-quarters of dining hall trash was still compostable food waste. To further progress toward its Zero Waste goal—diverting 90% of all waste away from incineration or landfills—the university will hire a full-time compost coordinator focused on planning, purchasing decisions for compostable materials, and monitoring contamination levels.
The Patriot Pantry—which provides free groceries and hygiene items at two campus locations—has seen usage rise by nearly tenfold since becoming a permanent service in 2016. Plans are underway for a new Food Rescue Hub in early 2027 at the Johnson Center offering grab-and-go meals prepared with rescued surplus food.
“Our goal was to rethink how we handle food from start to finish,” said Saxton. “By bringing partners together and building a shared vision, we created a sustainable model for change that will serve our university for years to come.”
