Quincy Drops No-Tray Initiative

Although Quincy House’s “Trayless Thursdays” experiment reduced the amount of waste per meal, the House abandoned the program last week.

Quincy’s month-long trayless initiative yielded an average of 1.40 ounces of waste per tray compared to the 1.87 ounces in the four weeks prior—a 22 percent decrease, according to Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) spokewoman Crista Martin.

Quincy had trayless Thursdays during its community-only dinners throughout the month of February.

While the trayless campaign in Quincy decreased the amount of leftover food, it remains unclear whether other Houses will adopt similar experiments. Martin said that HUDS will need to consult with House masters and the Resource Efficiency Program before removing trays from other House dining halls.

But even without a House-wide initiative, Martin said, anybody can go trayless­.

“I think it’s one of those great personal efforts,” Martin said. “I do not think there will ever be a time when we presume to take away the trays.”

Even during the trial run in Quincy, students were able to request a tray.

Sometimes busy days warrant trays, Martin said, “Heaven forbid you break your arm,” she added.

The test run in Quincy reflects a trend in university dining halls across the country. St. Joseph’s College in Maine first introduced trayless dining this fall. Several other colleges and universities, including Middlebury College in Vermont, San Francisco State University, University of California San Diego, and Alfred University in New York have since followed suit.

Quincy resident Stephanie M. Kaplan ’10 said the trayless initiative was a “really impractical concept that was more of a hassle than it was worth.”

Kaplan said her use of various plates, bowls, and utensils made trayless trips not only unfeasible but counterproductive.

Eating trayless did not discourage students from taking less food since they were now making several trips to the servery, Kaplan said.

But Quincy resident Lindsey E. Scherf ’08 said the initiative promoted eco-friendly habits and inspired her to eat trayless more often.

Several dining hall staff workers also said they were in favor of the initiative.

Mike L. Charles, a Quincy dining hall staff worker, said that no trays means not only less food, but also less work. Trayless Thursdays provided the dining hall staff with “a little break from these busy nights,” he said.

But Charles said that trayless dining ultimately depends upon student preference.

“If it’s easier for ya’ll, it’s easier for me,” he said.

—Staff Writer Esther I. Yi can be reached at estheryi@fas.harvard.edu.