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Miami, Orlando Schools Ditch Styrofoam Trays

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) —Kids in schools across two major Florida cities are going to be eating their lunch in a different way.

The school districts in Miami and Orlando are removing Styrofoam trays from school lunchrooms and replacing them with compostable plates made of recycled newsprint.

The Urban School Food Alliance made the announcement last week. It's part of an effort to use the purchasing power of large districts to produce environmentally conscious changes.

School districts in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas also are included in the project. Together, they will remove 225 million plastic foam trays a year.

School districts have relied on the foam trays because they cost 4 cents apiece, compared to their compostable counterparts that average about 12 cents each. The compostable plates bought through the alliance cost about 5 cents each.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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