Lunchroom Waste.

Lunchroom Waste. In our fast pace, conveniently packaged society children are receiving mixed messages. On the one hand schools are attempting to educate youth on the value of recycling and renewable resources, but miserably failing this lesson in the school cafeteria. Parents now opt for convenience and throwaway packaging like juice boxes and water bottles that generating massive amounts of garbage. Couple this with the enormous waste of partially consumed hot lunches and kids today are taught "If I don't like it, toss it "philosophy. Disposable lunches now generate up to 90 pounds of garbage per student each year according to New York's' Department of Environmental Conservation. To counter this some schools have implemented zero-waste tolerance polices and provide bins for recycling of bottles and excess food. Schools can only do so much, environment awareness begins at home with a return of the lunchbox and thermos and lessons on wasting food, values instilled by a bygone generation. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.