Pros and Cons of a Tray-Less Dining Hall

February 18, 2011 12:00 pm     Posted in College, Reality  Alyssa – University of Maryland g+ page

College kids, start kissing your trays goodbye. In an effort to make campuses across the country more green, many universities are kicking the habit, instead forcing students to carry their plates and drinks through their dining halls. As a college senior, it’s been ages since I’ve eaten at a school cafeteria but I can only imagine the chaos this is causing for those with tiny hands and huge appetites.


By Alyssa – University Of Maryland

While the push for less water and food waste is admirable, let’s weigh the pros and cons of a tray-less world:

Pro: Only being able to eat what you can carry means less food and less of the dreaded ‘freshman 15′ weight gain. We can dig it.

Con: Having to walk past that group of hot dudes to get your second third fourth serving of soft-serve. Damn you, tasty sprinkles!

Pro: Going tray-less eliminates the needs to waste gallons of water to wash them clean! Word to Mother Earth!

Con: I don’t know about you, but us East coast kids need something to sled on when the snowflakes start to pile up!

Pro: Less food is wasted when you can’t just grab-and-go. Start saying goodbye to the old “my eyes are bigger than my stomach” excuse.

Con: Having to balance silverware, a giant soda and a chicken wrap while digging around for your credit card is a recipe for disaster. Do I look like a professional juggler?

Pro: Ditching diner trays means ditching the tons of plastic used in making them.

Con: How are you going to inconspicuously load up on containers upon containers of cereal when you’ve got dining points to spend at the end of the semester?!

What are your thoughts on the diner-tray dilemma? Have you noticed a sudden disappearance, or is your campus still sticking with the tried and true method?

6 Comments on "Pros and Cons of a Tray-Less Dining Hall"

  1. Kayla says:
    Fri, 18th Feb 20111:46 pm 

    UTexas went trayless last year in most of our dining halls when I was a freshman. Considering how packed the dining areas are, it would be nice to have a tray, especially since being accidentally bumped by someone won't result in your flimsy recyclable paper plate folding back and all your food splattering to the floor and your clothes. I see the positives to going trayless but it is definitely a balancing act with multiple plates and a drink. I suppose it helps to make us work for that second serving by making us walk back to the food area instead of bringing a feast to the table on a tray at one time. At least now that the cafs don't need trays, we can use them on those rare but cherished occasions when the roads ice over, school gets cancelled, and the hills on campus are just begging to be sled down. (Laundry baskets make great sleds, too!)

  2. Megan says:
    Fri, 18th Feb 20113:50 pm 

    My college implemented this last year (my senior year) in order to save on water costs. It was tough to do at first but our dining hall was pretty small so it wasn't a big deal to go back for something else. It helped me cut back on my eating because I wasn't able to carry everything at once.

  3. Stephanie says:
    Sat, 19th Feb 201110:45 am 

    My college went trayless last semester, and before it happened everyone was against it. It is something I hardly notice any more.

  4. Tiff says:
    Tue, 22nd Feb 20111:53 pm 

    I think I might have used a tray once in my whole entire college carreer.

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