Trayless Dining Halls Coming Soon?

In an effort to reduce the waste of uneaten food in college dining halls, some campuses have begun experimenting with removing trays from the buffet lines. Dining services directors theorize that without the convenience of using trays when carrying food, the quantities that students take to the table for consumption will significantly decrease.

In a test conducted on the campus of Alfred University in New York, during a two-day period when trays weren't offered, food and beverage waste dropped between 30 and 50 percent. Administrators see this not only as environmentally friendly, but also a help to the institution's costs. Additionally,water consumption decreases since trays aren't being washed, and perhaps more appealing to students, the impact could be seen in their waistlines.

Read more about the experiments and their benefits in the article available on the Inside Higher Education Web site.