CDS, RHA sponsor week of trayless dining

The week will explore the feasibility of a trayless option.

By Luke Udstuen

Published Nov. 6, 2009

The Residence Halls Association is working with Campus Dining Services to sponsor a week of trayless dining in all of the dining halls, which will take place Nov. 9 through Nov. 15.

"Our stance has always been, and remains, that trayless dining is something that we're prepared to consider," CDS spokesman Andrew Lough said. "But it's something we want to do with students, not to students."

Through a joint meeting that Lough, RHA President Rachael Feuerborn and Missouri Students Association President Jordan Paul attended, the proposal for a trayless week challenge was drafted, Feuerborn said.

Trayless dining would reduce the amount of food wasted and water consumed with washing and sanitizing trays, which saves money and is better for the environment, Lough said.

In addition to a more intensive plate waste study the week before the trayless trial, Lough's office will also put together some research on estimated water savings from all the trays that won't need to be washed, Lough said.

Although all students are encouraged to participate in the trial, trays will be an option for those who need or strongly prefer to use a tray, Feuerborn said.

"Especially if you come in with an arm in a cast or a sling, you're already down to one hand, which limits how much you can carry," Lough said. "In that scenario you can request a tray, or get one. Or if a student really wants to have a tray, they will still be available during the week."

The goal, no matter which way the trayless issue is settled, is to act in accordance with student opinion, Feuerborn and Lough said.

Eva J's and Rollins dining halls use a solid belt in the conveyor at the tray collection point, Lough said. Plates and other items can be set directly on the conveyor, which means this system can remain.

Mark Twain Market and Plaza 900 dining halls use a belt system for their tray conveyors at the tray collection point and would require some trays for dish collection, Lough said.

"If the trays are only sitting there for dishes to sit on, they don't need to be as thoroughly sanitized as trays students would use to carry food to tables," Lough said.

Some students agreed trayless dining would save resources but said there are more convenient ways in which to save energy.

"Certain dining halls still use all plastic ware, like Dobbs does, so I'm not sure what they're thinking by not having trays," freshman Nina Bolka said. "I'm not sure that's going to make much of a difference."

RHA has looked into the issue.

"Plastic ware has always been an issue, ever since I've been in RHA," Feuerborn said.

She said Dobbs is dependent on plastic ware.

"They just don't have the washroom for it," Feuerborn said of moving away from plastics. "If it's ever renovated, I'm sure they'll come up with something, but as of right now nothing can be done."

Feuerborn emphasized nothing is definite.

"Going trayless wouldn't please everyone, and not going trayless would leave people unhappy as well," Feuerborn said. "So, I thought, to please those who wanted trayless, we could give it a shot and not just shoot it down. We've had a lot of people who thought it was a great idea, and said that we weren't even trying it."

At the end of the week, RHA will send out an Internet-based survey, in which students can express their opinions on how the trayless trial went, Feuerborn said.