Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Service topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teacher urges district to switch to reusable utensils, cites health and cost data
Summary
Teacher and parent Megan Harrison urged the board to consider replacing disposable cafeteria utensils with reusable metal utensils, citing a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report that found two middle schools saved approximately $3,000 in the first year after switching.
Megan Harrison, a teacher and parent, asked the Milton-Freewater Unified SD 7 board to consider moving from disposable cafeteria utensils to reusable metal utensils, citing health concerns and a potential cost savings over time. She brought printouts including a report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and said two middle schools that switched reported roughly $3,000 in savings the first year.
Harrison framed the change as both a health and fiscal concern: she referenced research about microplastics and contaminants and said reusable serviceware could teach students sustainable habits while lowering long-term costs. "Two of their middle schools switched to, reusable metal utensils. These were two schools of about 2,000 students, staff, and visitors, and they said in the first year, they saved approximately $3,000 by using reusable utensils and bowls," she said during public comment.
