Cornell University (NY) has begun a new initiative to eliminate the use of trays in its dining halls. Cornell officials removed the trays from Risley Dining Hall, the first dining facility to participate in the new initiative, after a successful pilot program in the beginning of the semester.

Three University of Arkansas dining halls have gone trayless. The University estimates that it will reduce food waste from 433,500 to 225,000 pounds, save 200,000 gallons of water, and thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity per academic year. The College of William and Mary (VA) Sadler Center has adopted a tray-free program as well. The dining hall is the second on campus to do so.

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks has eliminated trays from its dining hall in an effort to reduce food waste. UAF implemented the initiative after a successful week-long pilot program last semester resulted in eliminating 50 percent of the dining hall's food waste. The University of Minnesota has also stopped using trays in its dining halls. The UM initiative is also the result of a successful pilot program that saved an average of 1.5 ounces of food waste per person and 1,700 gallons of water.

Indiana University has announced several green initiatives that will take place on its campus for the first time this fall as a result of work completed by interns in the IU Sustainability Task Force's Student Sustainability Internship Program. The initiatives include: one dining hall on campus has gone tray-free this year; cardboard recycling was present at all 11 residence halls for student move-in; several gardens have been started at residence halls on campus; one food court on campus has started a composting program in which the organic material will be used in a nearby campus garden; and recycling will take place at IU football games this year.

Mesa State College (CO) has announced plans to go trayless in January 2009. The College estimates that the tray-free initiative will save 41,000 gallons of water each semester. Additionally, Mesa State has installed solar panels on top of the science center and a ground-source heating-exchange system to control temperature at the new business and teacher education building.

The University of Cincinnati (OH), Maryville College (TN), and Florida Southern College have stopped using trays in campus dining halls. UC's initiative was implemented after the pilot program saved 2,030 pounds of food waste in one week and the Maryville initiative originated from a resolution through the Student Government Association. All programs aim to reduce food waste, water consumption, and energy use.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has begun a pilot program to eliminate trays in dining halls on campus. Throughout the year, the University plans to compare food waste and energy conservation data from the cafeterias that still use trays to the one tray-free dining hall on campus.

The University of Alabama has eliminated lunch trays from its buffet-style dining halls. The initiative seeks to conserve water and energy and decrease food waste on campus. Since the initiative began, UA has observed a 25 percent decrease in electricity use and in food waste. Trays are still available, however, upon request.

The University of Connecticut has announced plans to go trayless this fall. The project, which will be implemented in 7 of 8 dining halls, aims to reduce the amount of wasted food and water, which is used to wash the trays. During a weeklong trial last semester in two dining halls, UConn saved about 760 pounds of food and more than 913 gallons of water just by going tray-less at dinnertime.

Two of Virginia Tech's dining halls have gone trayless after a successful pilot program. During the pilot phase of the initiative, which took place in one dining hall during Earth Week, dining services saw a 38 percent reduction in food waste.

Lafayette College (PA) Dining Services has switched to using biodegradable products; purchasing organic, locally-grown food, and employing a more efficient waste management system. Green friendly dining products available in all dining locations on campus include clear, biodegradable cold beverage cups and take-away containers made from corn starch; plates, cups, and other types of containers made from wheat starch; and napkins generated from recycled paper. Dining Services has also begun using biodegradable hot beverage cups and is currently exploring sources for biodegradable utensils as well. Reusable hot beverage mugs and cold beverage bottles are available for purchase on campus and discounts are offered for using such renewable beverage containers. Also available in all dining locations is organic and fair-trade coffee.

The University of Maine at Farmington Dining Services recently began donating 100 percent of its waste cooking oil to a local biodiesel production company. The initiative is expected to recycle more than 1,600 gallons of waste cooking oil and grease annually.

California State University, Fresno recently began serving campus food with compostable cups, lids, napkins, small plates, and beverage sleeves. These green products will also be used at all events catered by University Dining Services. Dining Services also plans to switch to compostable utensils and to-go ware in the near future. All items will be composted by the University Agricultural Laboratory.

The University of Minnesota Dining Services Green Team has posted a video on their recent effort to teach students how to compost in the dining halls on campus. The initiative produced more than 80 tons of compost during the fall semester. The video also explains how the composted material from the dining halls is mixed with animal waste in a manure facility, and is then returned to the UM fields as fertilizer. The video also tells about a recent initiative to hand out compact florescent light bulbs on campus.

Eckerd College (FL) recently switched to using the EcoClamshell, a reusable to-go cafeteria container made out of a dishwasher-safe plastic material. Students can sign up for an EcoClamshell in the cafeteria during any meal. The student's account is charged five dollars, covering the student's four years at Eckerd, unless the container is lost or destroyed. The student checks out an EcoClamshell, fills it with food and exits the cafeteria. Upon returning to the cafeteria, the student checks the container back in and places it on the dishwasher conveyor, where it is sanitized and put out for reuse. The initiative is the result of a $32,000 grant from the Environmental Research and Education Foundation.

The Culinary Institute of America (NY) has removed paper cups and lids in all of its student and staff dining facilities. The college had been using between 15,000 and 18,000 disposable cups a week in its student dining facilities alone. The CIA is encouraging students, faculty, and staff to use travel mugs or to-go bottles on campus.

Tulane University (LA) Dining Services recently removed trays from its dining facilities on campus. The initiative is an effort to reduce food waste, to conserve water that would be used to wash the trays, and to conserve energy that would normally be used to prepare more food. Additionally, the campus dining facilities now offer fresh Louisiana produce and seafood, recycled-content paper napkins, and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Dalhousie University (NS) recently implemented a policy that eliminates trays from all four of its campus dining halls. The initiative serves to reduce food waste and water and detergent consumption during the cleaning process.

Inside Higher Ed recently published an article on how colleges and universities are implementing no-tray policies in dining halls in order to reduce waste and save water. In experiments at Alfred University (NY), students found that a no-tray policy would reduce food and beverage waste by 30-50%. Customers with disabilities or those who need extra assistance are permitted to use trays.

As a result of efforts by the University Students' Council, the University of Western Ontario is transitioning from Styrofoam to 100% biodegradable food containers, plates, and garbage bags. The products, which come at no extra cost to students, are made mostly from sugar cane and corn starch and will biodegrade in 60 to 90 days.