“Going green” has not only become a catch-phrase in the last five years, but an economic trend. People have come to realize that working with the earth instead of against it can only be beneficial in the long run.

“Going green” is becoming a trend on college campuses, too. College cafeterias around the country are implementing a no-lunch-tray policy as a means to conserve the water and energy it takes to clean them after every meal. According to an article in TIME magazine, Aramark Higher Education Food Services, whose presence is seen in some 500 campuses nationwide, saw impressive results when it removed trays from the cafeterias it serve.

It found there was 25 percent less food waste and one-third gallons of water saved per every tray. Jerry Stills of the Chambers dining hall said several Chartwell’s schools have already implemented this policy.

Although it can be somewhat troublesome for students to make several trips if they are exceptionally hungry, Tech should adopt this policy for numerous reasons. Water conservation is always a concern.

Though the universities mentioned are larger than Tech, the water we conserve will still help the environment. Also, as many off-campus students know, paying a water bill is not cheap. The money Tech saves from water conservation when washing trays could be used to help make improvements on campus.

While carrying a tray around may be more convenient, it is not always the most health-friendly idea. The “freshmen 15” often occurs because students feel the need to fill the empty places on their tray with plates of food. Allowing students to make a decision about the food they will eat will limit the intake of excessive amounts. Many times, the food taken on those numerous plates is uneaten. This creates food waste, which takes up more room in our already heavily-stocked landfills. Let’s not forget the excessive amount of packaging which stored this wasted food; the packaging went to the landfill too.

Without trays, less food would be wasted, along with less trash being dumped. Switching to a tray-less cafeteria would not be easy. Some adjustments would need to be made, such as revamping the conveyor belt used to put trays on at the end of a meal. Fixing the belt can only be beneficial because the belt has already broken down several times this year during busy parts of the day.

Removing trays would not only be helpful to students and the environment, but also to Tech's tight budget. Stills said this policy is in the works for Chambers, but said he would appreciate any input from interested parties.