Dining gets greener, and becomes a balancing act

Some students and University officials are praising a move to discourage tray use in campus dining halls, but others are finding it difficult to adjust.

In an effort to reduce food waste and conserve energy, trays in the dining halls are no longer easily accessible, though officials say they are still available. Now, students with meal plans are adapting to life without trays.

"It's obviously harder now," said Wharton senior Lara Aleman, in her second year on the University's meal plan. "You can't really get a salad, a drink and an entire entree all at once."

College freshman James McTeague said he has witnessed two students drop plates while attempting to carry more than one at a time. "It's definitely different to get used to."

He added: "In high school I'd carry two plates on my tray, but here, I'll just have to go up a second time."

Complaints aside, the decision was motivated by environmental concerns.

Last spring Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger and Dining Services director Laurie Cousart helped organize a food-waste audit in the Hill College House cafeteria.

They found that eliminating trays reduced food waste because students could not load up on too much food - much of which they never finish.

Having fewer trays to wash will also conserve energy and cause less pollution because less detergent is used, Lea-Kruger and Cousart said.

"Part of this is educational," said Lea-Kruger. "We wanted students to know the environmental benefits of going tray-less."

The Penn Environmental Group and the Residential Advisory Board, both student-run organizations, also played roles in helping administrators organize the food-audit.

"I think we timed the tray-less initiative very well," said Laura Boudreau, a junior in Wharton who serves on the executive board for PEG. "Starting the year off without trays is much easier than seemingly having them taken away at some point during the semester."

College junior Mara Gomes, chairwoman of the RAB said getting rid of dining-hall trays is an easy way to help the environment.

"If you're looking for a way to reduce your ecological footprint, not using a tray is a great start," she said.

Cousart said it is paramount for student groups to take the lead in getting their peers to buy into the initiative.

"We have not heard much student dissatisfaction, and we attribute that to students being supportive of our efforts at sustainability," said Cousart, who admitted she too was guilty of piling too much on her tray at times. "We wanted students to educate other students."

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