Schools Switching to Reusables
We were thrilled to have our first
UNH Sustainability Fellow!
Cassie Lefleur was awarded a University of New Hampshire Sustainability Fellowship to collaborate with volunteers across the state to produce a roadmap to reduce plastic overuse in schools and municipalities. Read a press release about Cassie here.
Resources from the NH Network Plastics Working Group
Cassie Lefleur produced this informational guide to support school cafeterias interested in switching from single-use plastic utensils and trays to reusables.
This handout shows that switching to reusable stainless steel utensils and trays will significantly reduce the cost and waste in your school.
The What, Why, Who, and How of saving money on reusables in schools - and it does not significantly impact staffing while helping the environment!
Podcasts
Podcast episode #139 (September 21, 2023) of The Indisposable Podcast from UpStream.
Focuses on how K-12 schools are re-learning reuse, featuring Sasha Palmer and Rebeca Salguero of Brookline Massachusetts Public Schools, and Ben Schleifer of the Center for Environmental Health Food Program. They examine why, how, and lessons learned implementing reuse in schools.
Resources:
Podcast episode #174 (November 21, 2024) of The Indisposable Podcast from UpStream.
Features Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, pediatrician and founder of the reusable foodware company Ahimsa®. The Conscious Cafeteria Report, produced by Upstream and Ahimsa, is the latest evidence-based study projecting the environmental and financial impact of switching to reuse in K-12 schools and making a case for transitioning away from single-use food ware to protect children's health.
Across geographies, demographics, and schools—reuse wins every time.
Resources:
AhimsaSchools.com - Stainless steel dishes for safer, smarter schools.
Episode #96 from Upsteam's Indisposable Podcast, August 4, 2022
Resources
Case studies and resources for schools from UpStream
A day when school lunch is prepared without plastic!
A way to protect the environment and student health.
Schools everywhere are invited to participate by leading any plastic free lunch effort.
In the first year, the Minnesota schools saved approximately $3,000 combined by buying reusable utensils and bowls. The annual per-student costs for food ware dropped from $6.89 to $4.83.
Environmental impacts included preventing about 6,000 lbs. of on-site solid waste in the first year. The schools purchased just 12,000 metal reusable utensils instead of 700,000. In addition, in the first year of use, the change to reusable utensils and bowls was estimated to result in a 44% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gases and similar reductions in water use and air pollution emissions compared to disposables. Taken alone, the metal utensils resulted in a 77% reduction in greenhouse gases and water consumption over disposable plastic utensils.
Infographic by Cindy Heath, Ten Towns Toolkit Leader from Cornish, NH with help from Christina Dubin from Portsmouth
Consumer Reports tested popular fast foods and supermarket staples for bisphenols and phthalates, which can be harmful to your health. Here's what we found—and how to stay safer. By Lauren F. Friedman January 4, 2024
PFASinFoodServiceGuide_Final.pdf