MN Pollution Control Agency: Minnetonka Middle Schools

Two Minnetonka, MN middle schools, in coordination with TonkaGreen (the parent volunteer organization), received a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Environmental Assistance Grant Program to switch from disposable to reusable food ware and improve their cafeteria waste sorting stations. The purpose of the project was to address the most significant source of non-recyclable, noncompostable waste from the school cafeterias: disposable plastic flatware and Styrofoam bowls. The schools used the grant funds to purchase washable durable utensils and bowls, custom-made waste sorting stations, and a few needed racks and carts to store, move, and wash the reusable food ware. In addition, the project included educating over 2,000 students, staff, and visitors about the benefits of eliminating the disposables and how to properly sort everything from the trays after lunch. The project team analyzed the waste diversion benefits and, with help from MPCA staff, the overall lifecycle environmental footprint change from the source reduction of the disposable items – including carbon emissions, water consumption, and air emissions. In the first year, the schools saved approximately $3,000 combined by buying the reusable utensils and bowls. The annual per student costs for food-ware dropped from $6.89 to $4.83.