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Middletown, CT Public School District
Since 2022, the amount of trash generated in Connecticut has exceeded instate disposal capacity, and about 40% of municipal waste has been shipped out of state, which is costly, so there is motivation for waste reduction statewide. The Middletown Public School System consists of ten schools (eight elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school) and enrolls around 4,500 students. For many years, the Director of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Services has eagerly taken on sustainability initiatives in the cafeterias such as the separating kitchen food scraps for composting with Blue Earth Compost, purchasing reusable cloth bags for the breakfast program, and implementing hard reusable plastic cafeteria trays.
ReThink Disposable has joined the schools’ efforts to fight single-use disposable waste and plastic pollution by phasing out all disposable dining ware in school cafeterias district-wide. All disposables are being replaced with a reusable alternative, a one-to-one swap for each item. The transition is happening in several phases with the first phase of reusable plates and bowls rolled out in the fall of 2024.
All schools have an operating commercial dishwasher, giving them the ability to wash reusables in-house. The reusable food ware was purchased with funding from a CT Equipment Assistance grant, individual donors through a Sustainable CT campaign, and a utensil donation from Plastic Free Restaurants.
Read The Full Case Study Here (PDF)
ReThink Disposable is a program of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund conducted in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Generous support is provided by a changing list of public and private funders. To learn more about the program, its partners, and funders, visit: www.rethinkdisposable.org.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Single-use 5 Compartment Fiber Blend School Lunch Tray
- Single-use 5 Compartment Fiber Blend School Lunch Tray
- #200 Food Tray Red Plaid
- #300 Food Tray Red Plaid
- #500 Food Tray Red Plaid
- Take-Out Food Container, 9" x 6.5"
- Single-use Plastic Utensil, Straw & Napkin kit wrapped in plastic
- Single-use plastic 5.5 oz Portion Container
- Single-use plastic 5.5 oz Portion Container
- Clear Portion 5 oz/5.5 oz lid
- Ziplock Sandwich Bag
Recommendations Implemented:
- Durable Preserve Plastic Plate
- Durable Preserve Plastic Bowl
- #200 Food Tray Red Plaid - Eliminated
- G.E.T. EC-08-1-CL Eco-Takeouts Clear Single Entree Container
- G.E.T. EC-11-1-CL-EC Half Size Take-Out Food Container, 9" x 6.5"
- Stainless Steel Spoon, Fork & Spork
- G.E.T. EC-20-CL Sauce Cup 6.75 oz
- G.E.T. Eco-Takeouts 3 oz Jade Green Customizable Sauce Container
- Clear Portion 5 oz/5.5 oz lid - Eliminated
- Ziplock Sandwich Bag - Eliminated
Document
Business Information:
Middletown, CT 06457
United States
The Bottom Line
$91,175
net annual savings
3.76 million
disposable items reduced per year
15.5 tons
annual waste reduction
Here in Middletown Public Schools, one of our goals in switching to reusable utensils and servingware is to utilize the funds that would have gone to disposable items and instead reinvest them into the quality of our food. It was estimated that in this switch we will be saving around $100,000 per school year; with this savings we will focus on buying locally grown foods from small farmers and growers throughout the state of Connecticut with a specific focus in supporting farmers and growers of color. These funds will greatly improve our quality of food and bring more variety to our students during mealtimes.
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.
Ahmad Almakky
Ahmad is originally from Pakistan and has worked on a variety of wildlife conservation, clean energy, and community development projects. As a specialist in community-based approaches, his work focuses on the multifaceted and complex impacts of environmental projects on marginalized and underrepresented groups. Ahmad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Lahore University of Management Sciences and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Duke University.
Marisa Perales
Austin, TX
Marisa Perales is a partner in a small environmental law firm that advocates against polluters and in favor of the public's interest throughout Texas. The firm addresses all sorts of environmental issues that arise in Texas, including municipal, hazardous, and radioactive waste storage and disposal; water quality and air pollution; endangered species protection; and incompatible land uses. Ms. Perales also serves as board president of Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund. Believing that environmental advocacy must lead with equity and justice, Ms. Perales was a founding member
Mary Ann Fake
Boulder, CO
Mary Ann has held senior finance, accounting, and audit positions in a variety of organizations, including Funding Circle, a UK based peer to peer small business lender, Barclays Global Investors, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of the West, Bank of America and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation. Mary Ann became engaged with environmental conservation through her interest in creating incentives to encourage sustainable business behavior through transparency and disclosure. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Community Initiatives, a non-profit fiscal sponsor based in