Can anyone think of a environmentally friendly substitute for styrofoam trays?

Question

I'm looking for a way for my school to go Green and I thought it would be cool to start off in the lunch rooms. :]

Our school normally uses strofoam trays for school lunches, the flat ones for other food items and strofoam cups.

What else could they use that wouldn't be cost expensive for a school?

Maybe even bringing down the school lunch cost...?

Answer 1

plastic ones.

my school uses those and they last for a pretty long time.

and they dont really cost that muchh.

Answer 2

Check this article to the answer of your question

Answer 3

Maybe they could give people a discount for bringing their own containers?

Lots of people I know bring their own container when the go for take out. Most fast-food places (esp. non-chain ones) are happy with this as it saves them the cost of the styrofoam containers.

Answer 4

Sugar cane trays: http://www.worldcentric.org/biocompostab... These trays are both disposable and biodegradable -- they can even be composted, if you want to go the extra mile and suggest a compost bin for your school.  

Answer 5

they could use actual dishes and get a dishwasher

Answer 6

I answered another question of yours regarding this, but i'll highlight the important parts here, there are sugar cane or corn starch based trays that would make for an excellent alternative. I've used the corn based cups for parties before, they're just like plastic, and everyone is really impressed at how environmentally conscious you are.

Moreover, plant based trays can be composted, leading to great material to grow plants with. Of course this may be dependent on the size of your school, the trays take a significant time to break down, and may require more of an industrial composting facility to handle the volume from a school. If you can do it, the vegetable peels and cores can be composted too, reducing overall waste significantly. This can help with an organic gardening project for your school, either a vegetable garden, or perhaps more of a school beautification peace garden type of project.

The big problem is, they won't be cheaper. Lots of schools have started to make the switch though.