InsideHigherEd.com reports that students at Alfred University "ran a test last semester showing that on two days when trays weren’t offered, food and beverage waste dropped between 30 and 50 percent . . . That amounts to about 1,000 pounds of solid waste and 112 gallons of liquid waste saved on a weekly basis, according to the college."By taking only what they can carry, even though they can go back for seconds if they choose, students are more likely to take less, eat less, and waste less, reducing the school's food-bill bottom line significantly, and probably reducing the bottoms of some students as well.
University officials say student weight control isn't their mission with this effort. It's about reducing waste and consuming less water (those hundreds of trays have to be washed, after all). And, less food wasted means less food shipped, which means fewer trucks on the road, which means lower gas consumption, which means . . . You get the picture.
Other universities also are testing the trayless cafeteria, including the University of Connecticut, which has a three-week trayless trial underway. School officials are prepared for some student complaints. Change, no matter how beneficial, always faces some degree of resistance.
