PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY at PS 15 K (2018), a first for NYC schools

-->Skip to our  "Plastic Free Lunch Day" page -> and get ready for Plastic Free Lunch Day USA on Nov 2, 2022!

In May 2018, 56 fifth grade students from our PLASTIC FREE WATERS program at PS 15 Patrick F. Daly in Red Hook Brooklyn, led the PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY in a New York City public school. That day and all the events that led up to it are documented in our award winning movie, "Microplastic Madness."

After leading street and beach litter surveys, students turned to the school cafeteria to measure their own plastic usage and waste. Working with their School Food manager and supervisor, students proposed a plan to test out a school lunch day with as little single-use packaging as possible. There was only one pound of trash at the end of all lunch periods (a 99% diversion rate) and zero trash from the kitchen!

A huge thank you to the amazing School Food Staff who worked with PS 15 K students and Cafeteria Culture to make this possible!
Is your school interested in learning how to lead a Plastic Free Lunch Day?  

1. Learn more about Plastic Free Lunch Day here ->
2. Sign up to host a screening of our award winning movie, MICROPLASTIC MADNESS, which documents how 56 fifth graders lead New York City's first NYC Plastic Free Lunch Day pilot at their school.

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UPDATE: Join us on Nov 2 for Plastic Free Lunch Day USA! Cafeteria Culture and Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) are partnering up for this national day to reduce plastic packaging in public school  cafeterias and to protect student health and the Environment. www,plasticfreelunch.org

On May 16, 2022, Cafeteria Culture in partnership with NYC public schools led the first citywide PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY! Over 750 NYC elementary school cafeterias had school lunch prepared without plastic, providing a first glimpse of a plastic-free school cafeteria future. This initiative was started by Brooklyn PS 15 fifth grade students who advocated for this citywide day!