Trayless Days

As part of UW-Eau Claire’s Sustainable Week, Blugold Dining will go trayless from Tuesday, October 21 through Thursday, October 23. By not using trays we lessen the environmental impact we generate here on campus. A significant amount of water and electricity is saved, food waste is diverted from landfills and above all, we make a small dent in reducing carbon emissions.

Trayless Tuesday Savings

Blugold Dining is excited to share with you the most recent results of our ongoing Trayless Tuesdays program. On Tuesday, September 16th we disposed of 245 pounds of solid food and 14 gallons of liquid. Compared to the next day, Wednesday, September 17th, students disposed of 425 pounds of solid food and 21 gallons of liquid, resulting in a savings of 180 pounds of solid food and 7 gallons of liquids not wasted.

On the following Tuesday, September 23rd, 295 pounds of solid food and 14 gallons of liquid were disposed of. On Wednesday, September 24th , 370 pounds of solid food and 20 gallons of liquid thrown, a savings of 75 pounds of food waste and 6 gallons of liquids between the two days! We would like to thank students, faculty and staff for their cooperation, together we can make a difference!

Trayless Tuesdays

In an effort to protect our natural resources and support UW-Eau Claire’s Strategic Initiative of Sustainability, Blugold Dining is implementing Trayless Tuesdays this year at all our UW-Eau Claire dining locations. Trays account for a significant portion of our dishwashing – over 6,000 are cleaned each day on campus, resulting in over 396,000 gallons of water being used for this one purpose only. Going trayless lessens the environmental impact we generate here on campus. A significant amount of water and electricity is saved, food waste is diverted from landfills and above all, we make a small dent in reducing carbon emissions. So please join us every Tuesday in going treeless as we strive to become a more eco-friendly and sustainable campus.

Earth Week Update

Thank You to everyone who dined in The Terrace or Riverview Cafe on Trayless Day, Thursday April 24. As a result of going trayless, we were able to reduce food waste by 54%!

Now we want to hear from you! Many college cafeterias across the country have or are considering eliminating trays to reduce food and water waste. Please take a moment and vote in our poll on the bottom of the left column. Please feel free to also leave your comments regarding going trayless here.