April is here, and with it comes Earth Month; a time to celebrate, reflect, and take action. At the University of Notre Dame, we’re marking the month with a four-part weekly series highlighting the innovative ways Notre Dame Dining is building a more sustainable future. From reducing waste to intentional sourcing, each week will spotlight a different initiative making a real impact—so be sure to follow along.
Turning Food Waste into Energy at Notre Dame
We’re kicking things off with one of the most transformative systems on campus: Grind2Energy.
The University of Notre Dame has redefined the way it manages food waste by turning what was once discarded into a powerful resource. With the implementation of Grind2Energy (G2E) in 2019, ND Dining took a major step toward a more sustainable, circular food system.
Let’s Review the Basics!
Food waste is the single most abundant municipal solid waste material, accounting for 24% of all U.S. landfills (EPA, 2024). When food decomposes in a landfill, it does so in anaerobic conditions, producing methane—a greenhouse gas (GHG) that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and approximately 28 times more potent over a 100 years (EPA, 2023). This process directly contributes to ~8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making food waste diversion a critical area of work in addressing climate change.
Recognizing this, Notre Dame utilizes three on-site Grind2Energy systems—located at both dining halls and the Center for Culinary Excellence—to convert food scraps into a slurry. The slurry is then transported to a local anaerobic digester at Homestead Dairy in Plymouth, IN, where it is transformed into renewable energy, fertilizer, and sterile cattle bedding, all of which are used on the farm.
The Impact
Over the past several years, G2E has diverted an incredible 2,073.4 tons of food waste from landfills and counting! To put that into perspective, that’s roughly the weight of 115 full-sized school buses. More importantly, this diversion has prevented approximately 1,126.12 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) from entering the atmosphere, based on the EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM). That climate impact is equivalent to planting 18,620 tree seedlings and growing them for 10 years, according to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator.
This impact is not happening in isolation. Grind2Energy plays a critical role within Notre Dame Dining’s broader food waste strategy, guided by the Food Waste Scale. The most effective solution, however, is to prevent waste at its root. To support this, ND Dining has adopted tools like Leanpath, a real-time food waste tracking system that captures not only what is being wasted, but why. This allows teams to better track, adjust, and ultimately reduce excess production at its source.
Surplus food is donated through partnerships like Cultivate Food Rescue, and kitchens actively upcycle ingredients into new dishes whenever possible. Trimmings and by-products, like pineapple peels, are also gifted to a local rancher to feed his animals.
But for the food waste that cannot be prevented, donated, or repurposed, Grind2Energy ensures it still serves a purpose.
In a world where food waste is often seen as an unavoidable byproduct, Notre Dame is proving it can be part of the solution. Grind2Energy is more than a waste management system—it’s a tangible demonstration of how innovation, partnerships, and intentional stewardship can bring the University’s mission to life; caring for our common home in ways that are both practical and impactful.
A Call to Action
Each article in this series will close with a call to action as we highlight simple, meaningful ways we can all contribute to a more sustainable campus. According to 2024 data, nearly 66% of food waste in our dining halls comes from plate waste. That means small choices in how we serve ourselves and what we choose can make a big difference. Therefore, as the first call to action for Earth Month we encourage everyone to be intentional about how much you serve yourself, and remember you can always go back for seconds!