Styrofoam is non-biodegradable. Plastic utensils take an estimated 200 hundred years to decompose. Single-use plastic bags break down into debris of microplastics that never fully disappear.

These products pollute the Earth, and each of these pollutants can be found in an average school cafeteria. Day after day, as students, we grab our trays and utensil packets then only minutes later dump them in the trash. 

Schools buy non-biodegradable products because they are cheap and easy. However, at some point, we must take a step back and see the bigger global picture and realize the effects these products are having on the environment. It’s time to move in a “greener” direction and to do our part as humans to help protect the world we call home.

So, what can be done? 

A quick and immediate solution would be for schools to transition to compostable materials. This way, when the trays and utensils inevitably wind up in the trash, they will ultimately decompose in a landfill. Thus saving the lives of countless wildlife, and preserving our environment. 

How do we make this a reality?

First, a transition will likely cost money.

The Green Club could be founded to create a long-term student-based organization that generates fundraising for eco-friendly projects within the school. This money can go towards purchasing biodegradable alternatives and ultimately tackling more issues further down the road. 

A cheaper and more immediate option is the implementation of special days of the week, typically coined “no foam Tuesdays” or “finger food day.” These days would consist of food that does not require forks or knives and that is served similarly to fast food with packaging primarily consisting of paper bags or paper wrapping. 

Some may argue that this still generates trash. However, according to “The Science Learning Hub,” paper or biodegradable products take at most 5 years to decompose. Compared to styrofoam and plastic products that take nearly 500 years to fully break down. A cafeteria’s transition to eco-friendly products would help to significantly improve the long-term sustainability of the Earth. 

At some point, if humanity doesn’t change its trajectory the Earth WILL become uninhabitable. Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have invested in space travel in hopes to preserve human existence in the future. 

Extraordinary as this may be, I choose to follow the words of Mathew McConaughey: “While others look to the metaverse and Mars, let’s stay here and restore ours”. Preserving the Earth can’t be the act of singular entities, but must be a collective effort by all mankind, and if we can leave a positive impact simply by changing the products we eat lunch with, then I ask you, why not make a difference?