Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in S.C. Schools

How can a South Carolina school reduce waste? If a school routinely throws away disposable meal trays, it should consider implementing the Tap and Stack program or starting a Waste-Free Lunch Club. Schools across the state are greatly reducing their lunch waste by asking students and staff members to “tap” all food off of their Styrofoam trays and then “stack” the used trays in a neat pile. The trays still go in the garbage, but neatly stacked trays take up a fraction of the space required by trays thrown indiscriminately into trash cans.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waste-Free Lunch program educates students and teachers how to reduce, reuse and recycle one’s way to a waste-free lunch. The program includes a poster highlighting step-by-step instructions on how to create a waste-free lunch and the benefits of packing waste-free. The program is part of EPA’s Make a Difference campaign, which aims to educate and encourage middle school students to conserve natural resources by reducing, reusing and recycling waste.

For more information on waste-free lunches, including a letter to send home to parents, packing tips and printable activities, contact Jane Hiller at 803-779-0608 or [email protected], or visit GreenStepSchools.com.