Since 2022, the amount of trash generated in Connecticut has exceeded instate disposal capacity, and about 40% of municipal waste has been shipped out of state, which is costly, so there is motivation for waste reduction statewide. The Middletown Public School System consists of ten schools (eight elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school) and enrolls around 4,500 students. For many years, the Director of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Services has eagerly taken on sustainability initiatives in the cafeterias such as the separating kitchen food scraps for composting with Blue Earth Compost, purchasing reusable cloth bags for the breakfast program, and implementing hard reusable plastic cafeteria trays.
ReThink Disposable has joined the schools’ efforts to fight single-use disposable waste and plastic pollution by phasing out all disposable dining ware in school cafeterias district-wide. All disposables are being replaced with a reusable alternative, a one-to-one swap for each item. The transition is happening in several phases with the first phase of reusable plates and bowls rolled out in the fall of 2024.
All schools have an operating commercial dishwasher, giving them the ability to wash reusables in-house. The reusable food ware was purchased with funding from a CT Equipment Assistance grant, individual donors through a Sustainable CT campaign, and a utensil donation from Plastic Free Restaurants.
Read The Full Case Study Here (PDF)
ReThink Disposable is a program of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund conducted in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Generous support is provided by a changing list of public and private funders. To learn more about the program, its partners, and funders, visit: www.rethinkdisposable.org.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Single-use 5 Compartment Fiber Blend School Lunch Tray
- Single-use 5 Compartment Fiber Blend School Lunch Tray
- #200 Food Tray Red Plaid
- #300 Food Tray Red Plaid
- #500 Food Tray Red Plaid
- Take-Out Food Container, 9" x 6.5"
- Single-use Plastic Utensil, Straw & Napkin kit wrapped in plastic
- Single-use plastic 5.5 oz Portion Container
- Single-use plastic 5.5 oz Portion Container
- Clear Portion 5 oz/5.5 oz lid
- Ziplock Sandwich Bag
Recommendations Implemented:
- Durable Preserve Plastic Plate
- Durable Preserve Plastic Bowl
- #200 Food Tray Red Plaid - Eliminated
- G.E.T. EC-08-1-CL Eco-Takeouts Clear Single Entree Container
- G.E.T. EC-11-1-CL-EC Half Size Take-Out Food Container, 9" x 6.5"
- Stainless Steel Spoon, Fork & Spork
- G.E.T. EC-20-CL Sauce Cup 6.75 oz
- G.E.T. Eco-Takeouts 3 oz Jade Green Customizable Sauce Container
- Clear Portion 5 oz/5.5 oz lid - Eliminated
- Ziplock Sandwich Bag - Eliminated
Middletown, CT 06457
United States
The Bottom Line
$91,175
3.76 million
15.5 tons
Here in Middletown Public Schools, one of our goals in switching to reusable utensils and servingware is to utilize the funds that would have gone to disposable items and instead reinvest them into the quality of our food. It was estimated that in this switch we will be saving around $100,000 per school year; with this savings we will focus on buying locally grown foods from small farmers and growers throughout the state of Connecticut with a specific focus in supporting farmers and growers of color. These funds will greatly improve our quality of food and bring more variety to our students during mealtimes.
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.