Eliminate all single-use plastic for one day
or start with just one plastic-free action.
Latest article about NYC PFLD, November 22nd.
NEW YORK CITY – New York City schools participated in the fifth biannual Plastic Free Lunch Day earlier this week, as part of a growing national effort to eliminate single-use plastics in school cafeterias across the country. READ MORE |
Plastic Free Lunch Toolkit
for teachers, students, cafeteria food service professionals, workplaces & community organizations
Watch and share this short video to learn more. Hear from participating school districts⬇︎ |
PFLD overview (what? why? QR code, and free movie sign up).
Easy Start - K-12 Schools
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Why bother for just one day?
PFLD was STARTED by students!
The first Plastic Free Lunch Day (PFLD) was spearheaded by fifty-six PS 15 fifth-graders in Red Hook Brooklyn, as portrayed in Cafeteria Culture’s award-winning student-led movie, Microplastic Madness. On PFLD, students eliminated plastic utensils, drinking cups, and condiment packets. Students conducted a before and after waste audit and on PFLD counted 558 fewer lunchtime single-use plastic items!
On May 16, 2022, Cafeteria Culture in partnership with NYC Department of Education (Office of Food and Nutrition Services & Office of Sustainability), and students led the first New York City-wide Plastic Free Lunch Day. School lunches were prepared without plastic in over 750 NYC elementary schools! It's Possible! See our blog posts for details: - 5/19/2022 - Plastic Free Lunch Day in 750 NYC schools, a huge success! - 11/25/2018 - PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY at PS 15 K, a first for NYC schools May 16, 2022 Press Release -> |
Inspire your community
Host a free screening of
Microplastic Madness
for your class, team, & entire school
with our award winning movie!
Free for all K-12 schools Mar-Apr 2024! ->
Microplastic Madness
for your class, team, & entire school
with our award winning movie!
Free for all K-12 schools Mar-Apr 2024! ->
Cafeteria Plastic Reduction = Savings! Easy Implementations for one day & every day! The May 2022 New York Citywide PFLD showed that several easy school food service changes can result in cost savings (see our PFLD Cost-savings).. Meet with your school food manager to ask for these changes:
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For Students! Creative Messaging Tip Sheet For High School Students How to Drive Change In Your School Cafeteria - A Guide for High School Students, adapted from the work of Gauri Rastogi, high school senior and CafCu Youth Advocate and intern, based on her years of advocating to eliminate styrofoam trays from her school district in MIchigan. For College Students Step by Step College Guide and Survey, Plastic Free Lunch Day and plastic free action ideas for every day! |
In the News!
CBS News- April 24, 2023 Plastic Free Lunch Day movement spreading across the country⬇︎ |
ABC7 news Students from Red Hook create Plastic Free Lunch Day, schools participate nationwide Nov 2, 2022 |
Thank you Urban School Food Alliance districts, New York City, Dallas, San Diego, Baltimore, Philadelphia, DeKalb County GA, Portland OR, Chicago, Miami-Dade County and schools across the US for joining the 2022-23 school year Plastic Free Lunch Day USA action! Map of participants -> Is your school/school district on board? Get started with our free resources-> |
Share your PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY stories with us! Inspire others to take plastic free action! Post your actions on social media and tag us: Twitter @CafeteriaCu IG @CafCu FB CafeteriaCulture TikTok @CafeteriaCu #plasticfreelunch #cafcu |
Are you on board?
Share our "Get Ready" video to bring others on board
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Easy Plastic Free (Lunch) Actions for every day! NO PLASTIC ______ DAY!
Simplify the day with a focus on reducing just one kind of single-use plastic packaging, such as a: - NO PLASTIC STRAW DAY (more ideas for reducing plastic straws ->) - NO CONDIMENT PACKET DAY - ask your school food manager if they can serve condiments in refillable containers or dispensers. We suggest always starting with a before survey (or audit). Example: the steps for a "NO PLASTIC STRAW DAY": - 1 - Set out a box and sign to collect all the plastic straws used ruing one lunch period or during all school lunch periods. - 2 - Count the straws and photograph all the straws (lay them out on a dark background). - 3 - Publicize the number of straws collected on that one day and the date of your NO PLASTIC STRAW DAY" - 4 - On the day of the initiative, once again collect any plastic straws and photograph - 5 - Make posters with the 'before" and "after" data and photos - 6 - Interview students and staff to find out what others suggest to do next to reduce single-use plastics and other packaging. BRING YOUR OWN ______ DAY!
lead a "TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED Day"/ #SkipTheStuff
- Make creative signage to encourage plastic waste reduction or use the flyer provided (above) and place near dispensers. - Ask teachers to remind students just before lunch. - Make announcements! - Lead a before count of plastic utensils thrown away on a single day, start your campaign, then do an after count. Compare and publicize results. PROMOTE A REUSE CULTURE - EVERYDAY!
Ask your food service manager to: - Offer plastic utensils by request only on days when pizza, burritos, and other hand-held foods are served. Salad bars can be stocked with cut vegetables. - Serve all condiments and sauces in reusable dispensers or bottles. - If your meals come packaged with the utensils, ask to try a new method of offering utensils. - If your utensils and napkins come together in plastic wrap, ask for individual utensils and napkins! GRATITUDE DAY!
"Thank your kitchen and custodial staff and school cafeteria aides!
- Hang up special "thank you' posters in the cafeteria with staff names. - Encourage students to say "please" and "thank you" in the food line. - Make a special "thank you" announcement at the end of the lunch period and invite kitchen and custodial staff to join you! - Thank kitchen and custodial staff during school assemblies and recognize the work they do for the school community. Showing gratitude supports positive change-making and builds community! For inspiration, show our video, "School Lunch in Japan- it's not just about eating" (34 million views on YouTube!) More PLASTIC FREE ACTIONS for school, work, and COmmunity!
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Photo Gallery
ABOUT CAFETERIA CULTURE
Cafeteria Culture was founded as the grassroots STYROFOAM OUT OF SCHOOLS campaign in 2009. Students, parents and school food directors came together to find creative solutions to rid NYC school cafeterias of 850,000 styrofoam trays thrown away per day.
The result: VICTORY! Working together, we catalyzed the complete elimination of a half a BILLION styrofoam trays per year from incinerators, landfills and student meals in schools across the US. Together, we can win this next environmental and health victory and dramatically decrease single-use plastics in school cafeterias everywhere! |
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34 million views!!
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