Plastic Free Lunch Day

Waste > Plastic Free Lunch Day

Elementary Schools

Elementary schools kitchens automatically participate. Lunches will be served without plastic packaging, a monumental step towards reducing waste!

Middle & High Schools

Middle and high schools kitchens have different types of meal service than elementary schools, but they can still reduce plastic waste through staff and student engagement:

• talk to your School Food Manager about ways to reduce plastic (eg replacing ketchup packets with ketchup pumps)

• skip the straw if you don't need it

• reach out to your district's Sustainability Specialist for additional ideas

Key Video resources

• Plastic Free Lunch Day: What and Why (3 mins and 11 seconds)

  • Students at The Madeleine Brennan School (K201) meet with a Sustainability Specialist from the NYCPS Office of Energy and Sustainability to learn why it's important to reduce plastic packaging in school cafeterias and what Plastic Free Lunch Day entails. 

• Green Team Talks: Plastic Free Lunch Day (1 minute and 5 seconds)

  • Join the students on the Green Team at The Scholars' Academy in Queens as they share about what Plastic Free Lunch Day is, why it matters, and what we can do to participate!

Tips for Plastic Free Lunch Day

Let your school know about Plastic Free Lunch Day

• Ask your Principal for morning announcement time to talk about Plastic Free Lunch Day.

• Go classroom to classroom to explain the campaign to other students.

• Present about Plastic Free Lunch Day to your PA/PTA.

• Have a social media challenge, with students/staff submitting photos and videos of their plastic reduction.

  • • use the hashtag #plasticfreelunchday

    • tag Cafeteria Culture

Encourage everyone to take part

• Encourage students & staff to bring their own bottles & safe reusable cutlery – a raffle or prize can be a good incentive!

• Ask families to use reusable containers, paper bags, or aluminum foil instead of plastic baggies in home lunches.

• ​Lead a "Take Only What You Need" campaign - dispense utensils, napkins, and other single-use items by request only instead of automatically serving with each meal.

Learn more about plastic waste

• Complete a Know What We Throw Waste Checkup with your class or Green Team to measure plastic waste in your cafeteria.

• Host a screening of Cafeteria Culture’s Microplastic Madness!

Thanks to our partners Cafeteria Culture, the NYC Public Schools Office of Food & Nutrition Services, and the Urban School Food Alliance! Learn more at PlasticFreeLunch.org.