To see a video on 459 Commons eliminating the use of plastic trays, click here.
Students wrestling plates of food and cups filled with soda may occasionally miss the days of tossing it all on a tray. The University opened 459 Commons without trays, following a national trend of ridding University cafeterias of trays. When Highland Dining Hall reopened this semester, it too was trayless. And when the Pentagon Dining Hall reopens, it will be trayless as well. But diners’ burdens may be eased when the find out their sacrifice conserves energy, reduces food waste and reduces the amount of chemicals in the environment. These are the main reasons the switch to a trayless environment was made, said David Heidke, LSU Dining director. Energy ConservationThe University is able to conserve energy because fewer dishes are being washed per student, Heidke said. Highland Dining Hall previously had up to 800 trays that were washed several times a day, Heidke said.Heidke said for every meal served, a tray is used. And 459 Commons served 20,720 meals in July — the smallest amount of meals served since the dining hall opened January 2008, said Karen Long, 459 Commons director. Though there are no trays for personal use at the dining halls, about 48 trays are used to transport students’ used dishes to the dishroom, Heidke said. Energy costs per meal were 48 cents less at 459 Commons in April than costs at Highland Dining Hall in September 2007. Costs were 41 cents less at 459 Commons in May compared to Highland’s costs in December. But the decrease in the cost of energy per meal between Highland and 459 Commons can’t be solely attributed to the elimination of trays, said Peter Davidson, Energy Services director.There are too many other variables to consider such as heating and cooling of a building, the time of year and the hours of operation, Davidson said.”459 Commons is more efficient as far as heating and cooling goes,” Davidson said.459 Commons is also a smaller building, Davidson said. “You are going to save energy by washing less dishes,” Davidson said. But Davidson said he doesn’t know the overall impact getting rid of trays has on the environment.Less WasteThe trayless initiative has also caused a decrease in the amount of food wasted, Heidke said. University dining halls have seen a 30 percent reduction of waste brought in to the dishrooms — a number determined by weighing garbage cans from 459 Commons and from the Pentagon.The 459 Commons is starting a program to measure food waste, said Karen Long, 459 Commons director.Heidke said there was more waste in the past because students “graze with their trays.”Weight LossAnother benefit of moving to a trayless environment is it will be easier for students manage the amount of food they consume, Heidke said. Vanessa Richard, Student Health Center dietitian, agreed with Heidke and said moving to a trayless environment was “a smart move.””In a trayless setting, the student can be more aware of their portion,” Richard said.But weight loss ultimately comes down to what the student chooses to eat, Richard said. Unique Dining ExperienceAnother main reason for the elimination of the trays was the type of dining experience LSU Dining wanted to create with 459 Commons, Heidke said.Heidke said students associate trays with cafeterias, and the University wanted a more upscale approach to student dining on campus. Students are divided on whether they like the move to trayless dining halls.”You need a tray because that’s too much food to carry around,” said Hafiz Tuqan, kinesiology senior.Tuqan, who has not eaten in the dining halls since his freshman year, said the University needs to be more convenient and needs to stop worrying about money.Christie Matherne, English senior, said she supports the move to a trayless environment. She said saving money and energy is a fair tradeoff for trays.”Who needs more than they can carry in their hands?” Matherne said.