Introduction
Cumulatively in the United States, schools provide five billion meals to students every year.1
Many schools serve these meals on single-use food service ware, such as polystyrene foam or molded fiber trays, paper cups, and plastic utensils, due to their convenience and low up-front cost. Unfortunately, these disposable products are inherently unsustainable and contribute to climate change impacts, pollution in our environment, and impact the health of our children.
Scientists have found that many single-use foodware products contain hazardous chemicals2 that have been linked to a variety of health complications, including hormone system disruption, a range of cancers, behavioral and learning disorders, and much more3.
Children are especially vulnerable to these toxic chemicals and can be exposed by handling or eating food that was served on products that contain them. The short lifecycle of single-use foodware demands intensive natural resource inputs to produce, transport and dispose of.
Reusable foodware is considered more sustainable because it can often be used thousands of times before it needs to be replaced, resulting in lower environmental impacts and less money spent in the long-term.
Many schools serve these meals on single-use food service ware, such as polystyrene foam or molded fiber trays, paper cups, and plastic utensils, due to their convenience and low up-front cost. Unfortunately, these disposable products are inherently unsustainable and contribute to climate change impacts, pollution in our environment, and impact the health of our children.
Appendices and Citations
Continue learning by following the links within this toolkit, which lead to a variety of resources including those of external affiliates. For more information or to contribute to the toolkit, email foodware@ceh.org or visit CEH.org/foodware.
Ditching Disposables A Toolkit for Healthier Foodware in K-12 Schools