The silverware shortage at Mount Greylock has peaked this school year. The janitorial and cafeteria staff have taken new measures to resolve it: putting plastic sheets on top of the trash cans by the microwaves.
According to head custodian Ryan Skrocki, “We are not going to be putting the trash containers back under the counters. All of the trash and recycling will be located near the dish room”.
With the large amount of silverware being thrown away by students, the school has lost money. When asked if this was an expensive issue, Skrocki stated, “It adds up over time.”
Sometimes, people don’t think it’s a very big deal when they throw away one of the school’s utensils, but it all adds up and has become a pretty serious issue. Someone from the cafeteria staff now stands by the trash cans and reminds people not to throw away their silverware. They also added signs on top of the plastic sheets telling people exactly why our trash cans are now covered and will remain that way.
When asked for specifics, the Food Service Director for the district, Tammy Jennings, reported that: “252 forks, 612 spoons, and 84 knives”. Jennings also added, “The amount of silverware we have lost adds up to be a good amount of money”.
To prevent this problem Jennings stated that, “Students have to be aware of their actions when disposing their lunch trays into the trash and making sure silverware is placed in buckets and not thrown away”. The precautions that were set by the custodial and cafeteria staff will continue to be enforced until we stop disposing of silverware.
