Trays are a common staple of the cafeteria, but if an Inter-Residence Hall Association member has his way, they may become extinct.

Derek Haskin, junior in pre-business and at-large senator, plans to put forward a new bill this Thursday proposing a trayless Union Drive Marketplace, similar to the new Seasons Marketplace.

ISU Dining Director Nancy Levandowski said going trayless will create more savings overall.

Eliminating trays means eliminating all the overhead fees involved, such as the cost of washing trays.

Going trayless at Seasons, has resulted in $1,000 per week of savings, she said.

Furthermore, when comparing the food waste between Union Drive and Seasons, Jonathan Sherwood, sustainability student coordinator and senior in community and regional planning, discovered that Union Drive has twice as much waste per capita than Seasons.

But there are costs to going trayless.

Union Drive would require $145,000 in renovations in order to accommodate the absence of trays, but Levandowski said she estimates that they will be able to recoup the remodeling costs within the year through the savings becoming trayless would entail.

The dining hall would need renovations because the way dishes currently travel on trays to be cleaned.

Also, going trayless may turn off some students because it may be viewed as an inconvenience.

“Convenience can denote to some people ‘I don’t want to have to get up and get down’ and you can use the ‘L’ word for that — laziness,” Levandowski said.

Haskin said students should look at all the issues involved and determine whether the “environmental impact and cost” affects them more than not having a tray.

If IRHA passes the bill, the recommendation will be given to Levandowski who will have the final decision on whether to go trayless or not.

Levandowski said she wants to make the world more sustainable, but the decision is up to students.

“I feel I want to be a steward of the Earth and anything I can do to make it so that future generations have an Earth to be on and can eat a meal and can enjoy it, then it should be for me to do,” Levandowski said. “But ultimately this is the student’s meal plan, I’m here to serve.”