Lincolnshire school looking for ideas on what to do with leftover lunch containers

The Laura B. Sprague School in Lincolnshire has a big problem, and it's getting bigger by the day.

Students at the school are fed a well-balanced meal through their lunch program, which is free to everyone this year. But after those meals are consumed, an unwanted surplus of food containers and lids is left behind.

Instead of throwing those containers into a landfill, where they could take 450 years to decompose, teachers are working with students to find ways to recycle them and are asking for the public's help.

Sue Vani, who teaches second grade, said her school alone will produce nearly 48,000 containers with lids because of the free lunch program. And it's the same situation at schools statewide.

"There is a massive overuse of single-use plastics, and certain states are starting to ban them. And I hope that Illinois will follow suit," Vani said.

Anyone with ideas for what the school can do with its 48,000 containers should email Vani at svani@d103.org.