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M-DCPS GOES GREEN, PILOTS COMPOSTABLE FOOD PLATE Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is launching a new pilot program with compostable and organic round plates for use in our school cafeterias. Joining the five largest U.S. school districts, M-DCPS co-founded the Urban School Food Alliance and created national partnerships to support sustainable initiatives, maximize the value and increase the availability of high quality products in our student nutrition programs. The Urban School Food Alliance, which also includes New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Orlando, collaboratively developed the shape and design of the plate to serve students meals on round plates, replacing the institutional rectangular polystyrene lunch tray. M-DCPS Department of Food and Nutrition serves 51 million meals annually at 353 schools with a total operating budget of $189 million. American public schools use polystyrene trays because they cost less than compostable ones. Polystyrene trays average about 4 cents apiece, compared to the compostable plate, which averages about 12 cents each. Together, the Urban School Food Alliance districts used their collective purchasing power to innovate a compostable round plate at an affordable cost of 5 cents each. "We developed a quality sustainable product that will be strategically used in our cafeterias to be ecologically sound and maintain effective business practices," said Penny Parham, administrative director of M-DCPS’ Department of Food & Nutrition. “We are proud of the opportunity we have created." The American-made, FDA-approved, molded fiber plates are produced from pre-consumer recycled newsprint, and manufactured in Maine by Huhtamaki North America. It has five compartments, with the beverage compartment placed in the middle to balance the weight of a typical meal. The innovative design prevents hinging or bending and is easy to handle. PHOTO: Compostable Round Plate
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