What would be a good replacement for styrofoam trays? I would like to find a alternate form of our now styrofoam trays at school.
They would obviously need to be cheap in cost but something that could also be recycled. :]
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http://dewey.district65.net/default.asp
http://earthfirst.com/florida-college-st...

There are two option. You can either adopt the plastic lunch tray, which are washed and resused, or you can go for a new product on the market-corn based disposables. Cups, cutlery, and trays are all on the market which are made from corn. They have the durability of plastic, can be thrown away, are very cheap and biodegrade!

I use a variety of these products at my house for BBQ%26#039;s and out door movie nights that I hold for the neighborhood. We compost everything we can, including these and they break down really easily, yet are very durable during use.

Your first two answers suggested both regular plates and plastic trays, which have hit on the problem.
Years ago plastic trays were used by schools and cafeterias. These were washed (as are regular plates). I believe that stryo started to be used because of the costs that goes along with washing plastic trays: hot water, soap, scrubbers, machines to do the washing, other machines to do the drying, repairs to the equipment, the sorting of the trays, the stacking of the trays for reuse..and the cost of employees to do all of this. Bottom line it is was cheaper to just use styro. Now, I don%26#039;t know one way or the other, but the wastes (water, soap, sewage treatment, wash cloths, etc.) for washing may be greater than the costs of the styro wastes.

Well, what we do at our school is get lunches on plastic trays that are reused every day, kind of like the trays that you get your food on at a McDonald%26#039;s.

There are many plant starch items that replace styrofoam. I%26#039;ve seen plates and flatware made from corn starch as well as to go type containers. I would think there would be sectioned trays available as well.

washable plastic trays or washable plates would be good.
Thanks for making your school a more environmentally friendly place to be!

How about washable plates?