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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 18, 2008
BETHANY GOES TRAYLESS
LINDSBORG, Kan.—Bethany College has successfully joined several schools across the country in implementing a tray-free policy in its campus cafeteria.
Bethany’s food service provider, Sodexo, introduced a trayless dining initiative that was approved by the college’s Student Council, due to the perceived financial and ecological advantages of banning trays in the cafeteria.
The system is meant to decrease the number of dishes and trays to wash, reducing electricity, water and chemical usage. The community's water supply also is improved when less detergent, solid waste and grease go down the drain.
Additionally, the lack of trays can diminish food waste by discouraging eaters from taking food they can't carry. A study distributed by Aramark Higher Education observed 25 higher education institutions and discovered that the absence of the trays led to a 25 to 35 percent reduction of consumed food per person per day. If food cost is reduced, budgets can be adjusted to provide money to increase the quality of food in the future.
Sodexo workers at Bethany approached the college with Sodexo's trayless dining initiative program. The Student Council Executive Board made the decision to comply with the prescribed plan within days. Student Council President Beth Prier said she believed that by choosing to implement the new trayless system, StuCo was acting in compliance with the eco-friendly direction in which the school is headed.
In adopting this policy, which is intended to make the production and consumption of meals more sustainable, Bethany joins such schools as Georgia Tech, Prairie View A&M, Valdosta State, South Carolina State University, Royan University and UMass Dartmouth.
According to Bethany Food Services General Manager Kevin McCoy, the program has met with minimal resistance once students and faculty understood the "why" of removing the trays.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
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