[SustainableTompkins] [GreenYes] Polystyrene Lunch Trays

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Friends--From the Green Yes list, here is a post from a thread 
concerning the use of disposable plates (foam type) vs. reusable plates (I 
assume some type of durable plastic based on the weight).  The comparison 
doesn't use a life cycle cost analysis, but I thought it was illuminating 
all the same.  Note that I tried to adjust the formatting to fit the 
"standard" width of an e-mail page, but you may need to adjust your page 
width to get the formatting right?   Tom

****************  Forwarded e-mail  *****************

From: Mike <giuranna.mike at epa.gov>
To: GreenYes <GreenYes at googlegroups.com>
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Polystyrene Lunch Trays
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2007
Message-ID: <1194381641.225481.250910 at o38g2000hse.googlegroups.com>
In-Reply-To: <009f01c81dba$2ccca1f0$8665e5d0$@com>
References: <009f01c81dba$2ccca1f0$8665e5d0$@com>

Here's a study EPA's  Wastewise sent me from the Itsaca Medical Center
in Grand Rapids, MN ( published in a document by the MN office of
Waste Mgmt.) was on changing from single use plates to reusable
plates.  Here is what they found,  on an annual basis using 72
reusable plates vs 64 cases of disposable plates.

cu yd = cubic yards
cu in = cubic inches

                         Single 
Use  Plates      Reusable  Plates          Reduction
Waste Volume    2,252,800 cu in/yr      510 cu in/yr      2,252,290 cu in 
or 39.8 cu. yd
                                                                        (99.9% 
reduction)
Waste weight              1280 lb/yr              8.4 lb/yr          1,272 
lb/yr (99 % wgt reduc)
Cost                       $2,304/yr              $146 ( incl washing 
costs)   $2,158  (94% cost
                                                                                 reduction)
Number used                32,000/yr               72 in 3 
years                    31,976/yr

Payback period - it was calculated that the payback period for buying
the reusable plates would be 39 days.  After that time the Medical
Center will save $2,209 per year for the remainder of the life of the
reusables.

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958