August 15, 2004
Styrofoam Cafeteria Trays
Category: Environment
Washington: This is one of the worst examples of "Muda" I've ever seen. Actually, it may not fit that definition precisely, but it's incredibly wasteful: At the "Old Post Office" in Washington, which has been converted into a mall-style food court, you don't get your food on a normal cafeteria tray, insted you get a throw-away foam tray.
Posted by Nick at August 15, 2004 09:58 PM
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In my employer's cafeteria, you can choose one of these flimsy foam trays or a large re-usable plastic tray. Almost everyone grabs the foam tray. Why? I'm guessing it's because the reusable trays are scuffed from use. People would rather use something that appears pristine. I estimate about 500 foam trays get sent to the landfill from my workplace everyday. Shocking.
One of my co-workers collects the foam trays and re-uses them as disposable painter palettes.
Don't get me started on the plastic forks and spoons. I throw them in a bag in my desk drawer. Every couple weeks I take them home and clean them in the dishwasher.
Surely papier mache would be cheaper and at least that could be recycled ? *sigh*
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In my employer's cafeteria, you can choose one of these flimsy foam trays or a large re-usable plastic tray. Almost everyone grabs the foam tray. Why? I'm guessing it's because the reusable trays are scuffed from use. People would rather use something that appears pristine. I estimate about 500 foam trays get sent to the landfill from my workplace everyday. Shocking.
One of my co-workers collects the foam trays and re-uses them as disposable painter palettes.
Don't get me started on the plastic forks and spoons. I throw them in a bag in my desk drawer. Every couple weeks I take them home and clean them in the dishwasher.
Posted by: Val Ann C on August 15, 2004 07:25 PM