Pocono News Section

Trayless Dining to Help the Environment

Trayless Dining to Help the Environment - Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 4:09PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008 @ 04:09pm EST
Bloomsburg, Columbia County-

They're serving up meals one plate at a time these days at Bloomsburg University.

Everything looks normal on the university's campus on this Tuesday afternoon. But at the Scranton Commons, where many students enjoy their lunch each day, something is missing. The familiar plastic trays are gone.

Food trays are being eliminated at the college one day a week this year in an effort to help save money and the environment. It's all part of a national initiative by food service provider Aramark.

Aramark Marketing Manager Tara Lynn said, "25% to 30% of food waste is saved by going trayless. People's eyes tend to be bigger than their stomachs."

B. U. freshman Brooke Gift noted, "I do see some kids who waste a lot of food just because they have a tray and they have the space. They put it on there and then realize they're not that hungry."

Advocates of going trayless also point out the thousands of gallons of water that can be saved by not having to wash the trays after each meal.

Lynn explained, "Last Tuesday was our first Tuesday and we saved 1500 gallons of water, not to mention chemicals."

They're numbers that certainly add up in a big way. And while students do grumble a bit about the inconvenience, they seem to agree that trayless is the way to go.

Many even signed a poster supporting the idea. Gift said, "If you want to get food from different places you have to either drop it off at a table or make a bunch of trips, but other than that, to save the environment, I think it is useful."

Rebecca Huseman, another B. U. freshman, agreed, "I think it's a good idea. I mean it's a pain to have to carry everything, but overall, it's helping the environment, so why not do it."

Hundreds of schools across the nation are testing the idea of going trayless, with many hoping to adopt the idea on an everyday basis.

Lynn added, "Once they understand that it's such a simple step they can do to make such a large impact, they're usually all for it."