Trayless Dining Taking Hold at Rutgers

A trayless dining initiative piloted at one dining hall at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and now extended to two others seems to be working even as initial pushback from students has abated, reports the Daily Targum campus paper. The waste reduction initiative originally implemented at James Neilson Dining Hall last semester has produced a trend toward less food waste according to weekly reports though an accurate dollar figure regarding how much money is being saved is not yet available.

Dining Director Joseph Charette told the Targum that average plate food cost is highest at Brower Dining Commons, the one dining hall not yet a part of the trayless initiative because it lacks the waste disposal belt system that can efficiently collect soiled dishes (Rutgers Dining Services plans conduct a cost-benefit analysis to assess whether install a belt in Brower is worthwhile).