One Small Step: Go Trayless in the Cafeteria
September 8, 2008 by Peggy
I’m not sure it’s wise to suggest this for younger teens, but I think by college and adulthood we can all manage a cafeteria lunch without the use of a tray.
If you’ve been keeping up with news stories on the trayless movement on campuses across the country, you might know that leaving the trays behind has several great benefits.
It saves LOTS of water. And dish detergent. Don’t forget about the energy saved as well. Plus, there’s less food waste.
According to a recent article, the University of Maine at Farmington has reported a 65,000-pound reduction in food waste since implementing a tray-free dining area in 2007. They also saved 288,288 gallons of water! (The War on College Cafeteria Trays, TIME, Aug ‘08)
In addition to the environmental benefits of eating without a tray, there’s a health benefit as well. Students and others who don’t use trays often pick up less food to eat. When there’s no big tray to fill, carrying food becomes somewhat of a balancing act, but it also provides the incentive to think twice about food choices.
Even if your campus or place of work hasn’t banned the cafeteria tray, you can simply choose to not pick one up.
Choosing to be tray-free is one small part of greening college campuses, but it’s catching on. Help make it happen at your campus.
Image via flickr.