Road to Reusable Foodware for K-12 Schools

Reusable foodware used to be the norm in K-12 school. Now students as young as five are asked to sort ten different types of waste per lunch. There is a better way! There is also another reason we should be paying more attention to foodware. Chemicals that are found in foodware can be detrimental to health. Youth (or anyone for that matter) should not be eating off items with these toxic chemicals.

Most K-12 schools on the west coast do not reuse foodware. There are many reasons for this, but some schools are starting to transition to safer stainless steel foodware. The three main barriers when flipping schools to reusables are dishwashing, labor, and misconceptions. There are already solutions to these barriers and we will discuss them in depth in this engaging session. We will provide tools like case studies of California schools, calculators, lesson plans, timelines, and even work on milk dispensers.

Does it work? Fremont Unified has piloted 5 elementary schools on reusables this last spring. This is the equivalent of 600,000 single-use items diverted from the landfill a year. They are also looking to expand this project to the whole district. Fremont Unified is excited to share its success story in hopes to inspire other California schools. No more dealing with confusing messaging for students on how to sort waste properly during lunch. Come learn about the many benefits and waste prevention possibilities K-12 schools can achieve by serving lunch off of reusables.

Speakers

Ben Schleifer, Center for Enviornmental Health (CEH)

Title

EDC Food Coordinator

Speaker Biography

Ben was a former School's Associate with StopWaste (4 years) and has transitioned to working as a Food Coordinator with CEH. He uses his graduate degree in Neuroscience to understand how toxic chemicals can affect the brain of youth, but also how to influence the people he works with to change their behavior to a safer and more sustainable lifestyle. While he has passion for recycling and rot, the work has taken him to a higher R and he is exploring reusable across the country in K-12 schools.

Abstract Title

How to Transition your K-12 School to Reusable Foodware

Speaker Abstract

Learn about:

How to implement reusables in K-12 schools.
The three barriers to reusables in schools and how to overcome them.
How to build momentum for reusables in the school community.
How reusables in schools can affect youth’s waste behavior.

Stephanie Willits, Fremont Unified School District

Title

District Recycling Coordinator

Speaker Biography

Stephanie Willits is the FUSD Recycling Coordinator and has been working with schools to teach students about the importance of composting and recycling for over 5 years.

Abstract Title

How Fremont Unified is Moving Towards Reusable Foodware

Speaker Abstract

Learn about:

How to make the idea of reusable become a reality.
How to coordinate with Nutrition and Maintenance staff to change school lunch systems.
The many co-benefits of moving to reusables.
How to launch and monitor the transition to reusables.

Celeste Felix, Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI)

Title

MPH Public Health Nutrition

Speaker Biography

Celeste has worked at the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources for several years as a project policy analyst and contributes to projects to improve children's nutrition through food changes in school and childcare settings.

Abstract Title

School Meal Waste Study - Design, Measures, and Baseline Observations

Speaker Abstract

Learn about:

Research design to evaluate food waste in elementary school meals
Which foods are associated with more food waste by 1-6th grade students at school lunch (preliminary results)
What a 1-year waste study can show and how waste may be related to school lunch practices such as reusable serviceware and scratch-cooking

CRRA 2023 Conference and Trade Show

August 13–16, 2023

Hyatt Regency Burlingame, CA