Recipient of the US EPA 2013 Environmental Quality Award 
from the US Environmental Protection Agency,  Learn More >
CAFETERIA CULTURE was founded in 2009 as STYROFOAM OUT OF SCHOOLS  learn more->
Styrofoam banned in New York City
Cafeteria Culture's Giant No-styro Puppets, made of 500 used styrene foam lunch trays each, played a critical role in banning styrofoam in NYC!
New York City BANS STYROFOAM
starting July 1, 2015! 
This is a landmark GRASSROOTS VICTORY 
for our children and our communities! read more->

THANK YOU Mayor de Blasio and Sanitation Commissioner Garcia.
New York City Council voted unanimously to ban styrofoam, Dec. 2013. press  and details > 
A HUGE THANK YOU to all who have helped us to achieve this victory -eliminating toxic and polluting styrene foam from NYC schools and our lives!

NEXT UP - TAKE ACTION NOW! 
REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CARRYOUT BAGS IN NYC! read more ->
DONATE

SCHOOLS need ZERO WASTE TOOLS
and engaging CLIMATE EDUCATION!
Help us finish 
theSORT2save KIT
CafCu's free online, multimedia 
Cafeteria Waste Reduction TOOLKIT 
for ALL NYC schools!
(phase 1 - the NYC K-5 version, coming soon)

What's the problem with garbage? Learn More >
Read the LATEST CafCu news:
Sortin' It Out - the music video, Curbside Compost Messaging, & Youth Made Media at MS 246
Watch our new music video, "Sortin' It Out"  (a work in progress), co-created with the fabulous students and staff from MS 246 Walt Whitman in Brooklyn. Be a ZERO WASTE ANGEL and DONATE to help us complete "Sortin' It Out" and more edu-taining videos.
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Youth Made Media @ MS 246 Walt Whitman
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Curbside Compost Messaging @ PS 167 Parkway School

ENDORSEMENTS

Cafeteria Culture's ARTS+ACTION program was the perfect compliment to the Cafeteria Ranger’s program.   Together, they solidified the concept of environmental activism in our students’ minds and lives by stitching together multiple school-day elements to support conservation.  Thank you for everything!
James Lee, Principal
PS20 Anna Silver School
Thanks to CafCu's tireless endeavors, we have seen a 20 percent reduction in the amount of polystyrene trays used in our schools... We are grateful for your environmental advocacy and for the incredible work you and your colleagues do with our students.
Dennis M. Walcott, Chancellor 
NYC Department of Education, 2013
We can't thank you enough for the motivation and insight you provided us! Without it, I don't think we would have even known where to start. 
 Jane Erbe, Parent & Green Team,
Rogers International School, Stamford, CT

NEWS

NYC and the 5 largest US school districts will be using compostable plates, eliminating 2.9 MILLION styrene foam trays  per day from our children's lunches, incinerators and landfills!  Read more 
NYC new school food plate
This new school food plate changes everything! Students at PS/MS 34 tested out NYC's new compostable plate in the Fall 2014.
 CAFETERIA CULTURE wins
2nd place for 
TedX Manhattan Awards!
a huge "thank you" to all 
who voted for us!


CAFCU KIDS!
See Cafcu's PS/MS 34 M
 ARTS+ACTION eco-stars 
on HBO!
"SAVING MY TOMORROW"
premiered on December 15, 2014
See Parts 3 and 4 in April, 2015
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PS 34 M ARTS+ACTION alumni being interviewed by HBO producers at NYC's Climate March in 2014.
"It's Everybody's Ocean" 
February 28, 2015
BUY Tickets here
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NYC International Film Festival winner
watch the trailer
Congratulations to Atsuko Quirk, 
CafCu's Media Director and
 Director of this inspiring documentary,
AWESOME FOUNDATION NYC
2014 Winner
Curbside Compost Messaging!
Read about it here >

ARTS+ACTION 
CAFETERIA WASTE REDUCTION
SCHOOL PROGRAM

Coming: Fall 2015! 
CafCu's Multi-Media
SORT 2 SAVE TOOLKIT
 for implementing a  school
Cafeteria Ranger program.
"Rangers to the Rescue"

"Teaching Students to be Advocates- Polystyrene Ban"

See what our ARTS+ACTION program is all about! 

Alternative Messaging: No-Styro Puppets

Need More Inspiration?
"School Lunch In Japan"
by CafCu's amazing Media Director, Atsuko Quirk

WATCH more inspiring  videos here.
Bring CafCu to Your School !

TAKE ACTION

REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS in NYC
learn more ->

As part of our new Youth Made Media for Climate Action” (YM2act)  program at  PS 34 M, 5th grade students are learning the pros and cons of NYC Council's bill to reduce single use bags. They are also making reusable bags out of repurposed t-shirts and giving them away in the community!

CONSULTING, TRAINING, and MEDIA PRODUCTION

Hire our team of zero-waste experts for consulting, communication design, eco-management and video production services for your school, school district, and business. We specialize in ZERO WASTE culture, garbage reduction, recycling, edu-taining messaging, and community engagement.  
Hiring our team supports CafCu's school programs in underserved communities! 
Learn more here>

IMPACT!

 Cafeteria Culture catalyzed the complete elimination of 860,000 styrene foam trays used per day in 1,800 NYC public schools!
read more ->
Inspired NYC School Food to initiate collective  purchasing of compostable plates with the 5 largest US school districts, replacing 2.9 million styrene foam trays used per day with compostable plates!
Worked collaboratively with 15 organizations, students, families; built coalitions across sectors; and took the lead on frontline grassroots lobbying that led to NYC's citywide styrofoam ban!
Catalyzed Trayless Tuesdays:  reduced styrene foam tray use in all NYC public schools by 20%, at no additional cost to the city.
Trayless Tuesdays has diverted
 100 million polystyrene trays from the landfills and incinerators since 2010.
Initiated a private-public partnership  sparking NYC's school composting pilot!  Soon to be implemented  in all 
1,800 public schools! 
Piloting, innovating,  and sharing cutting-edge, cafeteria-based Environmental Education! 
Our TEAM has trained 
over 4,000 students 
at 14 NYC public schools!
We need your help...
to share our eco-arts programming with ALL schools for free!
Help us to complete our urgently needed multimedia 
Cafeteria Waste Reduction TOOLKIT       

Please DONATE!
Interested in sponsoring a Toolkit video? Contact us here >

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