Lyon is taking one more step towards sustainable development, this time in schools. As of March, the so-called “warming” plastic trays will no longer be used in the school canteens in the city. Instead, they will be replaced by fibre cane containers, reports the municipality. The measure is implemented in Lyon ahead of what is required according to the Agriculture and Food law of EGalim obliging to completely remove reheating plastic from January 1, 2025, promulgated in 2018.
Currently, the large polypropylene trays, containing the portions of several students, are placed in the oven for reheating. As of March 2020, the trays will no longer be used and will be replaced by containers that are much more environmentally friendly, since they are made from organic cane fibre which can be thrown in the recycling bins.
The change will lead to a significant drop of 75% in the plastics used, calculate the local authorities. Yet, there will still be plastic cutlery reserved for so-called “SOS” menus, but they are also set to disappear thanks to a new procurer of school meals set to go into effect in 2022.
Sustainable restoration in school establishments of Lyon
Other initiatives in favour of sustainable restoration are underway in the third-largest French city. About twenty schools in Lyon are already testing or will test in the next six months, the sorting of bio-waste. Students throw food waste into a separate bin, the content of which is sent to a composting facility in Anthon. In addition, to reduce waste, which schoolchildren are already aware of, the city's service provider will, at the beginning of 2020, adjust the size of meals in accordance with the recommendations of the French Group for the study of collective catering and nutrition (GEMRCN).
Finally, the meal ordering and cancellation e-service via lyon.fr or the Lyon app is also believed to improve quantity management.
