As part of its commitment to sustainability and green living, Thiel College in Greenville and its food service partner, AVI Foodsystems Inc., are going “trayless” for the 2008-09 academic year.

This new initiative is aimed at reducing food waste, reducing the amount of water used in cleaning trays and bringing more efficiency to AVI’s food service operation at Thiel.

There are no restrictions on the number of trips each student can make to the cafeteria’s food stations. They’ll just have to do it one plate at a time, reducing the amount of food that is taken and not eaten.

Thiel and AVI hope to save 150,000 gallons of water, cut the use of cleaning chemicals by 400 pounds and reduce food waste by 30 percent this year. The college is looking into possibilities regarding the future of its old dining trays, which are fiberglass and cannot be easily recycled.

AVI and Thiel also will introduce a 20-ounce refillable travel mug. This free mug will be distributed to all students and employees and can be used when drinking beverages in the cafeteria or filled up at the Rotunda Bistro for a discounted price.

Thiel hopes the new refillable mug will cut down on the number of disposable cups that end up in the trash and the number of glasses that must be washed after every meal.

AVI approached Thiel about the initiative after successfully implementing it at other colleges.