"EarthDay" news and stories

When you were going through school, did you ever think about the cafeteria trays? Trays have been a hot topic in university cafeterias recently. Many colleges and universities have been going trayless over the past couple of years. In fact, several of them started their 'no tray' policy on Earth Day this year.

There are two main arguments for going trayless: it leads to less food waste by students as well as less water waste in cleaning the trays. According to CNN, colleges in drought-stricken states are more concerned about the water waste. Fifty to 60% percent of colleges served by Aramark are getting rid of trays, and in a study conducted by the comapny food waste was reduced by 25% to 30% when trays were taken out of the picture.

Wasted Food has been covering this trend for quite some time, and has seen a lot of the backlash to the new trayless movement. I can understand the inconvenience the students face in all of this, but I personally think that finding ways to prevent waste trumps any individual complaints. What's your take on the trayless movement?

So..what are you doing today to honor the Earth?

Are you baking Earth Day-themed cookies? Making an organic fruit salad? Walking to the grocery store (with your reusable bag, of course)? Finally starting your own compost pile?

Check out this What Shade of Green are You? quiz on sister site Green Daily, and then read more of their green food coverage.

Tell us, we want to know: what are you doing today (or what do you do everyday) in celebration of the earth?

It's Earth Day today, just in case you haven't been keeping up with it. Our friends over at Not Martha have a great way for you to celebrate today and do your part. It's the RUMe grocery bags, which stands for ReUseMe, and there's even a chance for you to win some (you have to go to Not Martha.com to find out how).

I know that reusable grocery bags are not exactly a new concept. Every grocery store I've been to lately is selling their own, but the RUMe bags are so much more stylish, don't you think? Not Martha gave them a great review as far as comfort and practicality go, so apparently the bags are as functional as they are stylish.

Even if you already have some reusable grocery bags, these might make a great addition to the team. Also, they'd be a great start if you don't have any reusable bags yet. If you shop at Whole Foods Supermarkets, you're going to need them. You have heard that Whole Foods isn't going to offer plastic bags anymore, as of today, right? Happy Earth Day!

Of course we know that Earth day should be every day, but sometimes a special day like Earth Day, which is Sunday, April 22, is a good reminder to take good care of this planet on which we live.

One way to do that, aside from choosing earth-friendly chocolate when indulging, is by using bamboo kitchenware. Bamboo is a plant that grows quickly, which means it is highly renewable, which means it works for sustainable living. Anything in your kitchen or on your dining table that is plain old "wood," you can switch to bamboo -- serving trays, salad bowls, dinner plates, and cutting boards. And what a lovely thing that bamboo looks so pretty, too.

Biobags are storage bags made from completely natural and biodegradable materials. Although they resemble plastic bags, they are made from cornstarch - and even the corn is certified as non-GMO. The material used to make them is actually a "bioplastic" called Mater-Bi, which is made by an Italian company that specializes in finding alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.

Biobags allow the produce (or anything else) placed inside them to “breathe”, so heat and moisture will be wicked away, reducing the chance of bacterial buildup and even keeping produce fresh longer. It will also reduce the odors from trash and other waste products. The bags, if placed in a compost pile, will break down completely within 10-45 days, and will achieve the same result, albeit at a somewhat slower rate, in a natural setting. This means that they're great for taking along as storage on picnics and camping trips in addition to home use, just in case you lose track of any bags while you're out in the woods.

The bags are available online and come in a variety of sizes, including everything from grocery bags (pictured) to trash can liners to doggie bags.

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