A Stockton, CA, elementary school’s year-long effort to recycle cafeteria polystyrene (PS) lunch trays to save money and teach students and the community an important lesson about sustainability has earned tributes from school officials and California lawmakers.

Westwood Elementary School reduced its overall waste load by 20% and recycled 90% of its lunch trays by cleaning and sorting them and making them available for recycling at Dart Container Corp.’s manufacturing plant in nearby Lodi. There, the trays are prepared for reuse as an ingredient in non-foodservice products, including picture frames or decorative molding.

“We’re beyond thrilled that our kids have taken on this project with such vigor and are thankful to Dart for being generous enough to provide an easy solution to recycle our polystyrene lunch trays—saving our school money and reducing waste at the same time,” says Mary Miller, principal at the K-6 elementary school.

Representatives from Senator Dave Cogdill, Assembly Member Bill Berryhill, and Assembly Member Alyson Huber’s office presented Westwood with a resolution to recognize their efforts.

Miller said all of the school’s 600 students participated in year-long effort, which reduced from five to four the number of days required for garbage pickup, and generated savings that the budget-strapped school can use for other critical needs.

Although Dart doesn’t manufacture lunch trays, a key component of the program’s success is the company’s willingness to accept used PS foam products for recycling at its plant at no cost to the public.

“It’s exciting to be here to witness these children and local educators taking such an initiative to find creative ways that contribute to a more sustainable community,” says Michael Westerfield, corporate director of Recycling Programs at Dart. “As a company, Dart is dedicated to raising awareness that foam recycling in California is possible and practical and, armed with that understanding, people will be more responsible in their disposal of single-use foodservice items.”

After learning that Dart would accept foam for recycling, teacher Laura Rodriguez modified her curriculum about waste and recycling into a practical lesson for her students. With enthusiasm, students learned how to keep trays clean and set ambitious goals. After each lunch period, the children line up in the cafeteria to separate and prepare the polystyrene foam trays for recycling. (Photo from The Record, “Time and effort give new life to lunchtime trash.”)

Dart’s products are made of foam PS and are recyclable and reusable. According to Dart, foam products generate less waste in their production than paper alternatives, are stable and safe in landfills, and burn cleanly in modern municipal energy-from-waste facilities.

The company is driving recycling efforts from its California manufacturing facilities in Lodi and Corona to workplaces across the state, and from its warehouse recycling centers to consumers’ homes in curbside recycling efforts, such as L.A.’s “New to Blue.”

To read more, view an article from the school’s local paper, The Record, at “Time and effort give new life to lunchtime trash.”