The Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services is committed to participating in the inaugural National Plastic-Free School Lunch Day on November 2 as designated by the Urban School Food Alliance and Cafeteria Culture. In doing so, Dallas ISD becomes the first district in Texas to join this national movement.
“As a founding member of the Urban School Food Alliance, we are proud to move to eliminate plastic items from school lunches on November 2,” Executive Director Michael Rosenberger, said. “In fact, the entire K-12 school food market needs to move to more environmentally-friendly practices.”
Dallas ISD school cafeterias already use biodegradable and compostable trays and plates. The use of these items prevents millions of environmentally harmful plastic or Styrofoam plates and trays from being dumped into landfills. The elimination of dish machines in Dallas ISD school kitchens saves millions of gallons of water annually, and keeps dish machine waste water from entering drainage systems. Finally, Dallas ISD purchases many fresh Texas-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables, which reduces transportation costs and emissions, compared to purchasing the same items from out-of-state growers and vendors.
While Dallas ISD’s school cafeterias already operate a number of “green” and environmentally-friendly practices, joining the Plastic-Free School Lunch Day is just another step towards creating a better and healthier environment in Dallas ISD.
