CU considers going trayless

Many schools across the country are forcing students to go trayless. This is in an attempt to reduce food waste and energy costs. By cutting out the trays from cafeteria, schools want to discourage food waste. Also, with fewer trays to wash, water and energy is being saved in the kitchen.

Schools, like the University of North Carolina, New York University, and CSU, have made the transition to a trayless environment. CU has yet to make the push for a cafeteria without trays, partly due to inadequate equipment. The machines used to transport dishes are not capable of carrying lose dishes, cups and silverware.

Once the cafeterias become equipped to handle cups and plates without a tray, students will have to learn how to carry around their food without them.

Similar to going grocery shopping on an empty stomach and leaving the store with more food than you’d hoped for, students often fill their plates with more than they can eat. With a tray full of goodies that may appeal to your first sight, most of the food goes to waste.

CU freshman Mackenzie Corkill has watched her friends in the dining halls and believes not having trays would benefit dining halls. “When I’m eating with friends, they’ll take like three pieces of pizza and eat like one and just leave the rest. So I think that [trays] would actually help with the waste issue.”

Some students at CU have started the trayless trend. This month, dorms are having a competition that encourages students to ditch their trays. The eco-friendly habit has helped dining halls on campus conserve food, water and energy.

Last school year, CU Dining Services started a program where students have the option to reuse to-go containers when picking up food from the “grab-n-go.” The reusable containers are $5, and can be swapped out for new containers the next time they grab a meal to go.