Small Changes, Big Results: Green Nudges for Sustainable Diets and Food Waste Reduction

Sustainable diets and food waste reduction are key pillars of modern environmental strategy. Green nudges — small but effective behavior-focused tools — make it easier for individuals to make environmentally friendly choices in everyday life. In universities, these nudges might take the form of offering more vegetarian dishes, highlighting healthy options near checkout, or introducing pre-order systems in cafeterias to avoid overproduction and waste.

Globally, food systems place enormous pressure on the environment, while around one-third of all produced food is wasted. Every reduced portion of waste and every plant-based choice contributes to climate mitigation and more efficient resource use. Universities are particularly effective environments for these changes — bringing together young and professional communities that can quickly adopt structured change and set new behavioral norms.

A recent study (Green Nudges Implementation in South Caucasus Universities) revealed that sustainable diet and food waste nudges remain underdeveloped in Georgian universities. While some efforts have been made — such as expanding plant-based menus, incentivizing vegetarian meals, or promoting seasonal ingredients — these actions are still rare. There is little evidence of visual prompts, composting, or organized food redistribution systems.

Yet globally, good examples abound. At Lund University in Sweden, menu items are labeled with their carbon footprint, leading to fewer meat-based choices. At Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Wednesdays are fully plant-based. Columbia University in the U.S. runs a surplus food donation program to redirect uneaten meals to local food banks.

In Georgia, one university introduced a free drink with vegetarian dishes to nudge eco-friendly choices, while another highlighted seasonal products in the cafeteria. However, these remain isolated cases.

For Georgian universities, the opportunity lies in starting small: changing food layout, adding eco-labels, or diverting untouched meals from waste to secondary use. These modest steps can trigger a chain of sustainable shifts. What starts as a small nudge could grow into a systemic cultural change — one that stays with the next generation long after they leave campus.

Find the full report about Caucasus region here.