Currently Portland Public Schools utilizes polystyrene foam trays in its school lunch program. Lewis Elementary School staff, parents and students have voiced concern about the environmental impact of polystyrene and have been looking to go back to washable trays. Through the help of our PTA, we have purchased washable trays and we are involved in a pilot program to use washable trays instead of polystyrene for some of our lunches. This program relies on parent and community volunteers coming in during the lunch hour and washing the trays. We currently use these trays on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, thus reducing the amount of polystyrene we put into the waste stream. We are looking for additional parent volunteers who are willing wash trays and commit their time a day a week between 11:40 and 1:00 pm to help with this effort.

If you can help, or would like more information please contact the Lewis Elementary School Americorp Volunteer, Julia Hamlin by phone at 503 9126 6360 or by email at lewislearninggardens@gmail.com

Lewis parent helping with our lunch tray program...