Preferred Vendors

As of December 2023, this list contains the only reusable products we will subsidize for schools. It also serves as a “preferred vendor” list for all other subsidy applicants. This list will grow as we test more items.

TRAYS: Stainless steel Five-compartment tray from Ahimsa

FORKS: Stainless steel Stansbury Salad Fork from LibertyWare

FORKS: Stainless steel Fork from We ReUse (made in the USA)

FORKS: Stainless steel Fork from Ahimsa

SPOONS: Stainless steel Stansbury Teaspoon from LibertyWare

SPOONS: Stainless steel Spoon from WeReUse (made in the USA)

SPOONS: Stainless steel Spoon from Ahimsa

SPORKS: Stainless steel Spork from WeReUse (made in the USA)

CUPS: Stainless steel 10-ounce Cup from Ahimsa

PLATES: Stainless steel 9-inch round Plate from Ahimsa

PLATES: Stainless steel 3-compartment Plate from Ahimsa

Schools may request product samples from these vendors:
Ahimsa: hi@ahimsaschools.com
We ReUse: John.M.Fedyski@WeWillReUse.com or 602.790.4567
LibertyWare: snagel@libertywareusa.com or 801.825.5885

To qualify for PFR subsidies at schools, a product must pass one of two tests:

1. Our gold standard is GreenScreen Certified status from our partners at the Center for Environmental Health. As of December 2023, the only item on that list (relevant to and usable by school cafeterias) was Ahimsa’s stainless steel tray.

2. The other option is third-party ASTM C738 migration testing of three product samples, by a certified lab, down to the following limits:
0.05ppm Lead
0.05ppm Chromium
0.05ppm Nickel
0.01ppm Cadmium

With some exceptions, once a usable/relevant product for school cafeterias achieves GreenScreen Certified status, we will discontinue subsidizing any products in that same product category (e.g., “trays” or “forks”) that are not GreenScreen Certified.

This new policy also serves as a de facto PFR policy of no longer subsidizing any reusable plastic food ware (e.g., melamine trays) for schools. If a school is willing to pay the (~$1,000) cost of ASTM C738 tests on three samples of a reusable plastic product, and those tests come back negative for a laundry list of chemicals typically found in plastics (PFAS, bisphenols, phthalates, et al), then we will subsidize that product moving forward. But we find that scenario very unlikely, so our new testing protocol is essentially an end to any PFR subsidies for reusable plastic in schools.

For more information on this policy, please email contact@plasticfreerestaurants.org