Colleges are starting to move away from cafeteria trays

9-02-2008 @6:41PM Sandie said... Without trays everyone will leave thier dirty dishes on the tables causing a big mess. They will then have to hire several people to buss the tables which will end up costing them about as much if not more than it would to keep the trays.
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9-02-2008 @6:56PM moose82901 said... I think the issue here is not using trays but what the Cafeterias do as far as being a service to students. Instead of doing away with trays do away with Cafeterias. Make the students do as I do now for lunch and that is simply bring your own lunchbox or brownbag...besides the lunch you make is a lot better than the garbage the cafeterias provide. It's not healthy.
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9-02-2008 @7:06PM Andrew Doolittle said... Aside from the increased possibility of dropping food and arduous skill to balance a meal in one's hand due to the non-existence of food trays, I suspect there will be an increase in packaged foods to make them more portable. More packaging requires more materials, which is the least bit eco-friendly.
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9-02-2008 @7:35PM Mary Ann said... I am a college student. When I go into the cafeteria I am carrying a purse, bookbag, and maybe a coat. I need the tray!! Unless the cafeteria food looks awful or the selection is bad, then I do not take a tray. I can carry one item without a tray. Maybe the college that does not need trays needs to look at the quality and taste of their food.
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9-02-2008 @7:43PM Jeanette said... How about smaller trays? You can't fit as much food on them, hence, less waste!
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9-02-2008 @8:21PM kwiehekaylor said... My boyfriend and I actually took two trays back home with us for the weekend, drilled holes on the short sides and put rope handles on them. There was a man-made hill on campus for the PE skiing class and everyone went "traying" in the winter.......that was 30 years ago........I sure miss college and the great times we had....
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9-02-2008 @8:01PM pyro197x said... My school started this on Earth Day last year, and I didn't really notice because no one used to use them anyway.
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9-02-2008 @8:36PM cathy said... what are they going to use for sledding??? i have participated in that activity when i was in college....fun, stupid, but fun.
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9-02-2008 @8:55PM JLO74 said... My first thought was right there with Lauren (sledding fun!). But then I thought about the fact that saving water is good, as is saving money (on water, less food waste just b/c it fits on the tray, and more trays b/c of all the trays that get lost on the slopes). And THEN I realized how hard it would be to get all your good to the table. But they could just get bigger plates so you could put more items on your plate. Then you have a plate and a drink and are good to go.
But no more sledding... :( I guess they'll have to use binders...
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9-04-2008 @11:49AM Narwhal said... I am a student at Virginia Tech, and our 'All-You-Care-To-Eat" dining hall went tray-less this year for the first time.

Just so everyone is completely sure, our dining halls are large, and offer outstanding food. As a matter of fact, we have the best college dining experience in the nation. D2 is very popular, and full of good for you delicious choices (three salad bars and a wonderful vegetarian kiosk), along with more average, but still delicious college kid fare (pizza and burgers).

In general, the students of Virginia Tech mourn the loss of our trays. I burned my fingertips after getting a bowl of soup at the start of a food line, getting the remainer of my food from that line, and walking back to my table.

I, on average, eat three plates and two bowls worth of food, along with a drink. Salad plate, meat plate, a bowl of pasta, a bowl of soup, and a plate of dessert. That means I am running back and forth from my table at least three times, waiting in line and coming back. This process and eating takes me at least an hour at the slowest part of the lunch shift. Some college students don't have time for that, and the process at the busiest time can take up to an hour and forty-five minutes, with little dawdling.

I have also seen more spills and broken dishes in the last two weeks than I did all last year.

Now, will the Virginia Tech students adjust? Sure. Are we taking less food? I'm not. I got what I was going to eat, and rarely more, back when we had trays. My plates are never full when I get them. I never get dessert or pasta until I've reached an all right quota of protein, veggies, and fruit. Are we using less water? I have no idea.

Trays are still awesome. Our school, when short-staffed will use Styrofoam plates and bowls so no washing is necessary. I wish we would have contemplated tackling that problem before this tray issue, though that is only my opinion.
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