One of Trent University’s most popular and effective on-campus waste management programs is making a comeback following an 18-month pause in response to COVID-19.

Starting Monday, November 1, the Ecotray program will be available at all food services on Peterborough campus locations (Symons, Traill and the Otonabee Annex) as well as the new eatery at the Durham GTA campus, and aims to significantly reduce the amount of waste created from single-use meal containers.

“Trent University is proud of the many efforts we have taken to become a top-ranked sustainable university in Canada and around the world,” says Shelley Strain, sustainability coordinator with Facilities Management. “The Ecotray program in particular has been a major factor in not only building our reputation but also delivering meaningful results in reducing the University’s negative environmental impact. We are excited to relaunch this program, and eventually others, and improve upon our pre-COVID standards.”

History of the Ecotray
The Ecotray was first implemented at Trent in 2016 and, prior to the program’s hiatus, was used to package one-quarter of the meals served on campus. China plates were the only serving method to be used more than the Ecotray, accounting for approximately 60 percent of meals served on campus in 2019/20. 

“Through a recommendation from the student-led Sustainability & Fair Trade working group, there is a $1 charge for all paper clamshell take-out containers,” says Jessica Brooks, marketing manager of Chartwells. “While this charge is currently on pause as we work to reintroduce more reusable food and drink dishes, it discourages people from using one-time use containers and is a real driver of the Ecotray program.”

How to participate
Students, staff and faculty are all invited to join the program, which has a one-time $7 entry fee for a participant’s entire time at Trent. Participants can pay the fee when they purchase their first meal in an Ecotray. First-year students living in residence at Trent will receive a free Ecotray exchange card from their residence don at the end of October. 

After finishing a meal, participants return their emptied, unwashed Ecotrays to any cashier, and receive a green exchange card for the program. The next time a participant makes a purchase in an Ecotray, they give the cashier their green exchange card so they are not charged again.