The University of Connecticut concluded a three-week trayless experiment (that we previewed) and it was a success. The per student waste decreased by 28 percent when trays were not available.
The first week included food waste awareness materials and weighing food waste to serve as the experiment’s control. The second week, Whitney dining hall went without trays for one night. By the third week, staff removed trays for every dinner.
Jim Rogers, assistant manager at Whitney, told me that student reaction was mixed:
“Certainly there was grumbling, but there was a large percentage who thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I think they were grumbling about the inconvenience that they may have to go up again to get an extra cup of soda.”
But why take it from Jim? Here are two students’ views, from the article in the student paper:
“For me personally, since they started talking about it, I made a conscious effort not to take everything I want to try but only what I’m going to eat,” said [Bethany] Ober. “I don’t think the trays have anything to do with it.”
Katy Laguzza, an 8th-semester puppetry major [Wasted Food note: ah…college], didn’t mind the trayless dining experience, however. “I think it’s a good thing and that people should stop being wimps and make more than one trip.”
Now that the trayless experiment has ended, I hope they’re feeding all that food waste to the Huskies.