Saint Louis University’s campus cafeterias have gone “trayless”; the plastic platters that diners once used to carry multiple plates, bowls and cups to their tables are now a thing of the past. Chartwells, the company that operates dining services at SLU, said that they did away with trays because of their commitment to “social responsibility” and “going green.”

Chartwells decided to take on the initiative of trayless dining after conversations with clients and student organizations resulted in requests for a more “green” dining experience.

Not using trays in the dining facilities accomplishes this goal in numerous ways, according to Eric Macharia, marketing director for SLU dining services.

“Chartwells has a responsibility to our campuses to be good environmental stewards and supporters of socially conscious initiatives,” Macharia said. “Going trayless is a sustainable initiative that satisfies both. It reduces food waste, helps conserve natural resources as water and energy don’t need to be used to wash trays and reduces the amount of detergent pollutants from entering our water supplies.”

Although Chartwells is optimistic about the new program being successful, they acknowledge that some may have difficulty adjusting.

“Going trayless requires changing habits, and that’s always a challenge for some,” Macharia said.