Skip To Content

Compostable Trays Rolling Out in Cafeterias Across the District

Compostable food trays rolling out across the district
Posted on 10/16/2019
Student holds a new compostable food tray, made of wheatstrawCafeteria food lines across the school district are debuting a new item - only this one isn't to be eaten. Jeffco Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has begun piloting compostable food trays. The new trays are being piloted in some school cafeterias, but not all, during the 2019-20 school year.

The FNS Task Force, composed of community members and FNS leadership, has been collaborating about ways to incorporate community input into the FNS operations at schools. One desire brought forth from the community was to eliminate the use of Styrofoam® and move towards more sustainable products in cafeterias. As lunch trays are one of our highest-volume products each day, the FNS Task Force and FNS started there. The new trays are made from wheatstraw fiber, an annually renewable resource, used to create items normally made of paper or plastic. 

Jeffco views this as a first step in creating a more sustainable operation. We must consider food safety, portion sizes, and available staff members when deciding on our service model and supplies used. For this reason, we continue to use single-use items in our current operation as we explore future alternatives. 

Jeffco FNS is excited to take this step toward sustainability by eliminating Styrofoam® trays.
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.