Food for Thought Is Waste Reduction Superstar
Posted January 18, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo.
From Transition San Juan Island Waste Guild
The Transition San Juan Island Waste Guild wants to give a big kudos to the San Juan Island School District Food for Thought program’s grab-and-go free school breakfast and lunch program.
The food service team packages their tasty breakfasts and lunches in a sustainable manner. When schools went virtual, the cafeteria line went into the parking lot.
This meant packaging breakfasts and lunches individually for 200 to 250 kids and handing these bundles out to families through the car window. The program has kept to sustainable principles during this pandemic while keeping an eye on the budget.
Here’s how they have kept the waste minimal.
Reduce: Recycled plant-based spoons and forks are no longer automatically placed in every food bag, however, they are happily provided upon request. Breakfast and lunch are placed together in the one paper bag.
Reuse: the kitchen provides durable plastic containers that are safe in high-temperature dishwashers. These containers are happily accepted back to be washed and re-used.
Recycle: Single serving packets are almost gone, replaced with a recyclable plastic container. Paper rather than plastic bags are used to package the meals. No “one-stop” plastic bags for this crew, and that means a few less plastic bags landing in the Salish Sea! Rot: A farmer picks up food scraps for composting.
Thank you Liz Varvaro, Chef Andy and the entire Food for Thought team in the kitchen at San Juan Island School District! And here’s a reminder that child age 1-18 is eligible to receive these free meals. More information can be found at sjisd.wednet.edu.
Transition San Juan Island is a group of community volunteers with a vision to create conditions for community resilience and regeneration in a rapidly changing world. Learn more at www.transitionsji.org.
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Categories: Community, Education, Environment
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