Royal Purple

Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeremy Pink A sign above the conveyer belt for trays and dishes behind Ike Shaffer Commons promotes Trayless Tuesdays across campus.

Chartwells Educational Dining Services will no longer offer trays on Tuesdays as part of a company-wide effort to conserve water.

All dining locations except Drumlin Hall will be trayless on Tuesdays. Due to the layout of the dining services in Drumlin trays needed to be offered.

"It's an inconvenience," freshman Yi Xiong said, "I have to carry a lot of stuff while I'm getting my food."

Chartwells, which provides dining services for the university, is looking to provide a good experience for students who are used to having trays available to them.

"We want to make sure it's a good and smooth transition," Ann Wick, Marketing Director for Chartwells, said. "Obviously feedback from our customers, staff and students alike, is important. We just want people to know that it's out there.

Wick estimates that more than 5,000 gallons of water will be saved everyday trays are not used.

"I actually contacted the manufacturers of our dishwasher machines and did the calculations." Wick said, "I looked at each Tuesday at how many trays we washed and applied that number to how much we could save."

The financial benefits of trayless Tuesdays are not yet known. Wick said after trayless Tuesdays had been active for a month they would be better able to add financial benefits to their findings.

Wick also said that the impact of using fewer chemicals is as important as conserving water. She said the large amount of water saved and the amount of chemicals saved will have a considerable impact on the environment.

"It became apparent that we had an opportunity to make an impact," Wick said, "The reason we started on October 7 was that we wanted to have that educational period at the beginning of the semester. Down the line there will be things that we learn from this."

Anyone with a special need for a tray is still able to get one by asking a Chartwells employee at any dining location.
Evaluations will be made on whether trayless Tuesdays will expand to other days of the week after feedback from students and staff is collected.

"Having a tray doesn't really matter to me," junior Long Yang said, "We are saving a lot of water. It is a good way to go green."

Chartwells, a nationwide food service provider, has already gone completely trayless at many universities across the country.

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