College students across the country this year may notice a slight difference when they step up to their cafeteria’s serving stations: no trays. That’s right. The large, rectangular trays that have been synonymous with school lunch since kindergarten are a thing of the past for many colleges, and organizations like
The Sustainable Endowments Institute suggest more schools will likely follow suit.
Some students have welcomed the change while others cried foul and got their schools to reinstate the tray. Let’s take a look at the reasoning behind the switch and whether the benefits to colleges and students are big enough to warrant the extinction of the collegiate cafeteria tray.
Why Colleges Prefer the Plate to the Tray
In the current economy, as
schools sacrifice financial aid to save money, it should come as no surprise that the main reason colleges are making the switch is because of costs.
We waste a lot of food in the United STates, and college cafeterias are no exception. To curb that wasteful tendency, colleges are creating portion control by only offering plates rather than the more accommodating trays to pile on the food. And the trick seems to be working.
- Since eliminating trays last summer the Rochester Institute of Technology has seen a reduction in food waste that has led to a 10% saving in food spending.
- Trayless schools with all you can eat plans have experienced up to 30% decrease in food waste.
- San Diego State’s food cost has been reduced by $65,000 annually since they nixed trays two years ago.
- UC Santa Cruz states that they have cut their annual food costs by $100,000 since going trayless.
Colleges also cite eco-friendliness, a topic of interest with today’s college students, as the other big reason for choosing to eliminate trays. They argue that getting rid of trays will also help cut down on water use and energy used for cleaning.
Williams College, which found they saved 14,000 gallons a year not having to wash trays, is one example of the environmental benefits of trayless cafeterias.
Why Students Prefer the Plate to the Tray
For some students going trayless has been a welcomed change. The eco reasons have been a big sell for many student supporters who are invested in greening up the planet. The issue of food waste is also a driving factor.
Some students recognize that it’s not just the food itself but the money spent on that food that can be saved and go to more important things. Colleges like San Diego State have used the savings to improve the quality of cafeteria food offerings and help moderate increases in room and board costs.
The other notable benefit for students is better portion control which helps ward off the dreaded freshman 15. Students can no longer pile everything on to a tray so they have to make more conscious decision about what and how much they are eating.
Why Students Want Their Trays Back
Of course some students don’t like the portion control. The main argument in favor of the tray is that it cuts down the trips made to the lunch lines. Making multiple trips in turn means more congestion in the cafeteria and more time spent eating lunch and dinner.
There are also students who suggest that without the trays people are more likely to drop food as they try to pile it on to their plates, which cancels out the benefit of reduced food waste. The embarrassment of dropping all your food is a residual downside.
Plate vs. Tray Verdict
The final consensus is that nixing cafeteria trays is a good idea based on the facts that:
- Studies do show it reduces waste and cuts cost, which is an all-around good.
- Eco reasons are a little more blurry, but the potential is there.
- Plates are more reasonable than trays as far as healthy portion control goes.
We think schools should just stick to using trays as sleds like they do up in Michigan.