Since the pandemic, Waubonsie Valley High School lunches have looked and functioned differently compared to previous years. They are now being provided to all students for free and are individually pre-packaged. Due to new packaging methods, the school uses an immense amount of single-use plastic every single day.

Breakfast meals come in plastic bags, and consist of a little plastic baggie of utensils, a juice box, and a breakfast item (all store-bought breakfast items and bagels come wrapped in plastic). In lunches the plastic use only gets worse; Every single student must get a fruit or vegetable that is packaged in a little plastic cup or bag that is then put into another larger plastic bag and comes with the small plastic baggie of utensils. However, that doesn't even include the meal such as the wraps, subs, pasta, and rice dishes that are always packaged in plastic Tupperware. 

Single-use plastic items take centuries to decompose and have polluted Earth to the point that almost all the livestock we eat, consist of some microplastics, which in turn can be found in our bodies. While Waubonsie is not the cause nor the solution to the global plastic crisis, it's the start towards making a difference in our community. 

If Waubonsie made it a priority to combat its single-use plastic waste production, we could actively start helping the issue instead of exacerbating the situation. Sign this petition if you agree that Waubonsie should look into this issue and come up with a reasonable way to approach it.