Comments on: Are your kids being forced to be wasteful at school?

By: Johnny

Johnny — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:56:20 +0000

I find it disheartening as well the amount of food tossed for lunchs (and the amount of scraps that could be in a compost such as orange peels!) but sad to say, it’s a state regulation, to provide the healthy lunch kids are reqiuired to have x of z things on their plate, at least here they don’t have to take ALL of it but must have three items at least or somthing like that, and they are provided options so they can choose a bread and jelly over what they don’t like or a salad or a fruit serving etc…. everyone is walking a fine line trying to balance the needs with responsible….but they are attempting… my goal next year may be to provide a bucket for the orange and banana peels…and cross my fingers they are done right, the plastic bolttle recycle bins I provide now are filled with more trash than plastic and there is NO recycling options here, I have to pack them up in a truck and take them on a trip once a month…..some days it doesn’t seem worth it (extra gas just to drive stuff to be recycled?!?!?) but I trudge on…..there are so many areas that are just too small to viably support recycling…. what can they do???? anyhow, wandered off tangent a little… just wanted to let you know it may just be a government regulation for healthy eating……….

By: Doreen

Doreen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:51:33 +0000

Christine – such a sad reality… waste is NEVER okay!

dana – oh, no… not styrofoam. At least I am happy that my daughter’s school uses reusable trays.

Tara – the waste that happens it is amazing… and disheartening.

The Happy Friar – the more I hear the more I realize that this IS a widespread problem. But you’re absolutely right. Just because it lands on a child’s lunch tray doesn’t mean they’ll eat it. I guess it’s just another way for governments to say they’re ‘doing their part’ even if the waste is abundant. And styrofoam… when will that TRASH disappear? Never, unfortunately. It’s all a matter of being cheap and convenient without any consideration for the effect…

By: The Happy Friar

The Happy Friar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:14:30 +0000

Not sure about CA, but in NY kids MUST (ie forced) to take X amount of items to have a “balanced lunch.” They can throw it away but that’s what the state govt considers the best way to FORCE kids to eat healthy.

Completely ignoring that one meal a day with all their friends in 25 minutes isn’t going to teach them anything. :/ I’ve always told my kids to eat everything, I’m not paying for a stupid piece of pizza, if you get it, EAT IT.

So there’s your answer, most likely the state govt forces this, or the school forces this, all under the idea that it will force kids to eat healthy.

Interesting thing about the Styrofoam too: it can be recycled, but it’s not practical in most areas. I’m exaggerating here, but, for example, you’d need a hockey arena stadium filled with it to make it worth the cost for the trash company. And that would take a long time to fill up.

By: Tara (Go Green St)

Tara (Go Green St) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:31:34 +0000

It is amazing how much food at school is wasted. My children have always taken lunches but I often go to school to enjoy lunch with them, and see many kids throwing away lots of food. The trash is out of this world and I have yet to understand why the schools make them take everything, but it is very wasteful.

By: dana

dana — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:55:05 +0000

I visited my kids’ cafeteria during summer school in June and was taking with one of the custodians about the trash. They use (gasp) styrofoam trays for hot lunches. After the kids eat and empty their trays, they have to stack them together. I thought they had found some way to recycle them, but when I asked the custodian what they do with them, he said they actually throw them in the trash. I’m sure they switched from reusable trays and silverware for cost reasons but I would love to do a “true” cost comparison. And maybe figure out how to convince them to compost too. Small steps, I guess…

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:36:11 +0000

Hi Doreen, I just came across your site and I think it’s great! Before I started HipGreenDeals.com I was a teacher and I can tell you this practice of making the kids take each item is all over the place. I can’t tell you how many sealed milk containers and other things had to be thrown away. Especially bags of grahms or something, it’s not like they were going to expire the next day. It’s a shame because school’s budgets are so tight as it is and the companies that run the cafeterias say this is the way it has to be.

By: Doreen

Doreen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:32:34 +0000

Jim – you said it, honey!!!

By: Jim Kukral

Jim Kukral — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:19:53 +0000

You gotta figure this out. So wasteful.