By Cree McCree
What’s Happening
• Cafeteria trays are going the way of ashtrays at colleges nationwide. Scores of schools have opted to ditch the Animal House icons to cut waste, save money, and make campus dining halls more homey.
• 126 of the 300 best-endowed U.S. colleges have stopped using trays in some or all of their dining facilities.
• At the Rochester Institute of Technology, which went trayless campus-wide, food waste has plunged dramatically, saving the school 10 percent in food spending—despite rising ingredients costs.
• Axing cafeteria trays, which encourage all-you-can-eat gorging, may also save students from gaining the classic “freshmen 15.”
What This Means to Business
• Waste not, want not. With endowments shrinking and student enrollments down, colleges need to conserve.
• Going trayless isn’t just about cost-cutting. It’s part of a larger trend toward greening America’s campuses with eco-friendly practices like installing solar panels and composting dining-hall waste.
• Institutional cafeterias are so 20th century. Small food stations with healthier choices, including vegan options, make students feel more at home.
• When trays go out the window, so does the temptation to pile it on.
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