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SUNY initiative eliminates food trays for on-campus dining
By Katie Anderson
On February 20, 2013
Several campuses across New York State are participating in a SUNY-wide initiative to remove
food trays from all campus dining facilities.
The SUNY Student Assembly Environmental Affairs Committee suggested the decision for all
campuses to become tray-less as part of a greater campaign to make SUNY schools more
environmentally stable.
The environmental affairs director for the SUNY Student Assembly, Gwendolyn Nieves, said
removing trays from campus can result in a healthier student body.
"Students will not be affected drastically; it is a slight change that will have great benefits,"
Nieves said. "When eating in college dining facilities student will carry plates, a practice that has
shown to be beneficial towards students eating habits."
In a SUNY press release, Nieves also said that eliminating food trays on campus may also have
economic benefits for the schools.
"On average a student will throw out half a pound of food per meal throughout the year," Nieves
said. "This will collectively turn into 209,000 pounds of food annually (post-consumer), hence
costing a SUNY college roughly $750,000 in waste."
According to Nieves, several SUNY schools have already implemented the initiative by ridding
their facilities of dining trays. Buffalo State is one of those schools taking environmental action.
Marissa Dinello is the director of marketing for Chartwells, Buffalo State's food service provider.
She said that Buffalo State has been tray-less for some time now, and is currently working
towards other "green" initiatives.
Using sustainable seafood, cage-free shell eggs, zero trans fat oils and biodegradable
packaging along with buying from local producers are just some of the many environmental
initiatives that Chartwells has implemented at Buffalo State.
"The tray-less initiative has been successful for Chartwells as a whole," Dinello said. "I think
that, especially being in the dining affairs industry which can impact so many people, we should
be doing whatever possible to go green where we can."
Student Assembly representatives will present a resolution for implementation of the food tray
initiative at the Spring 2013 SUNY Conference in Albany April 12-14, Nieves said.
"At this conference each school attending has selected a designated voting delegate to vote on
behalf of their institutions student body in regards to presented resolutions and officer elections,"
she said. "If students support this resolution it is up to the student body at each individual
campus to work in junction with their higher administration to implement this initiative."
In a press release, President of the Student Assembly Kevin Rea said he was proud SUNY was
moving toward environmental stability and growth.
"This will be a great opportunity to become more environmentally conscious in a way that
benefits both SUNY and our planet," he said.
Katie Anderson can be reached by email at anderson.record@live.com.
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