Instead of putting everything on a tray, students use plates to carry their meals.
Not having to wash trays cuts the school's energy and water bills. It's also seen as environmentally friendly. An added bonus: Students are less likely to take more food than they need -- resulting in less waste.
But the move wasn't an easy sell at first.
"For the first few months, students were not happy about the change and there were a few meals where the act of balancing plates, salad bowls and glasses became a potential Olympic sport," said James Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president of student affairs.
Complaints about the new system began to taper off after the first few months, however, and Fitzpatrick said the school has been able to reduce waste and costs far more than it originally thought possible.
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