Did you know that UCs like Irvine and Santa Cruz have meal plans that are transferable between students? Or that unused weekly meal plans at UCLA roll over until the end of the quarter? UCSD students' unused swipes roll over until the end of the year! Moreover, did you know that UCSB meal plans have NEITHER of these features, contributing to food waste and food insecurity in the community? 6% - 8% of man-made greenhouse gases could be reduced if we stop wasting so much food (World Wildlife Fund). Additionally, access to nutritious and affordable meals is crucial for the well-being and academic success of all students. Therefore, we urge UCSB Dining Services to implement the following changes to ensure greater flexibility and accessibility in the meal swipe system:

Transferrable Meal Swipes: Allow students to transfer a limited number of meal swipes to other students, fostering a sense of community and ensuring that no meal swipe goes to waste.

Rollover of Unused Meal Swipes: Implement a policy that allows unused meal swipes to roll over into the following week or quarter, providing students with more flexibility to accommodate fluctuating needs and schedules.

With these changes UCSB can reduce its food waste by giving students increased access to food that would have been thrown out, and help its student body--particularly those facing financial or time constraints--by improving opportunities to have nutritious meals.