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There are several waste reduction considerations to take into account
when purchasing school food service items. This table may help identify purchasing options that
effectively promote a district-wide
waste reduction program.
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Does the product reduce waste? |
Can it be reused? |
Is it recyclable? |
Can it be composted? |
Is the product available with recycled content? |
Additional Information |
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Beverage Containers |
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Plastic Pouches |
X |
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X |
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Pouches may save space in a dumpster if fully emptied. Los Angeles Unified School District is piloting a recycling
project with Dupont. |
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Cartons |
|
|
X |
X |
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Cartons are easy to open and
empty.
Got
Lunch? (Adobe PDF, 215 KB) is an
article supporting food, milk cartons and other paper
in your school composting feedstock. |
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Aseptic Containers |
|
|
X |
|
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Aseptic Packaging Council offers
information on recycling aseptic beverage containers. |
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Aluminum Cans |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
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Plastic Bottles |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
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Refillable Plastic Bottles |
|
X |
X |
|
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The
Burlington County Office of Waste Management, Source Reduction At
School Web site provides information
regarding the use of refillable milk containers at school districts
in Burlington County, New Jersey. Source reduction tips also
provided. |
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Plastic Cups |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
Schools must have dishwashing capabilities. |
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Service Trays |
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Hard plastic |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
Schools must have dishwashing capabilities. Auburn Unified
School, San Juan School and Santee School districts use reusable plastic trays. |
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Aluminum |
|
|
X |
|
X |
Trays can be used for art projects. |
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Cardboard |
|
|
X |
X |
|
Livermore Valley Joint School District and Davis Joint
Unified recycle paper trays. [1] |
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Fiber Molded Cardboard |
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|
|
X |
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Fiber molded trays can be composted when
shredded first. [2] |
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Polystyrene |
|
|
X |
|
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Trays can be washed and used for art projects. Limited
recycling opportunities exist through technologies such as
International Foam Solution, Inc.'s Styro Solve System. |
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Eating Utensils |
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Metal |
X |
X |
X |
|
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Schools must have dishwashing capabilities. |
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Plastic |
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Resources
- "A Decision Model to Select Serviceware for School Foodservice."
This article compares the costs for permanent and disposable
serviceware. For a copy of this article please contact the American
School Food Service Association directly.
- The CIWMB's Food Waste Management site provides information and resources
to help reduce food waste and save money on disposal costs. Resources
include food scrap prevention tips, lists of local food banks and food
rescue programs, on-site and off-site composting options and biodegradable
products.
- The CIWMB Recycled-Content Product database lists thousands
of recycled products as well as manufacturers, distributors, reprocessors,
mills, and converters that produce the products or process the materials
used to make them. Search on food service equipment with at least 10 percent
post-consumer content. Potential "buy recycled' items for the food
service department of a school are lunch trays, plates, platters, cups,
floor mats, paper napkins and towels, and even worm bins.
- Earth's 911 provides information on local recycling, pollution prevention
and environmental information.
- The Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling maintains a list of
California Refund
Value (CRV) products for reference.
- Polystyrene
Recycling Sites--Western Region. Recycling is currently not an option for
post-consumer food service items.
- International Foam Solutions, Inc. offers technology to recycle
polystyrene.
Footnotes
- Davis Joint Unified School District recycles cardboard
trays. Lightweight cardboard "carry out" trays are recyclable in
Davis, even when contaminated with some food waste. The district purchased
the Child Nutrition Tray from Sysco. The cost for a 500 tray case (Dapaco 7667)
is $13.10 dollars per case. They are available plain (without child nutrition
writing) and may cost a little less. For more program details, see the Davis
Joint Unified School District Case Study and other
Food Scrap Reduction
Case Studies.
- Davis Joint Unified School District experimented with
composting the fiber molded serving trays. For more program details, see the
Davis Joint Unified School District Case Study and other Food Scrap.
Food Service/Cafeteria Home
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