Every day, hundreds of thousands of plastic-wrapped breakfasts are given out to New York City schoolchildren, many of whom eat breakfast at home. Teachers say, “You don’t have to eat it but take it anyway.” At the end of breakfast time, teachers tie a large garbage bag to their classroom door handle, and many students throw out uneaten breakfasts.

This is a waste of food. Only those students who do not eat breakfast at home should be given a morning meal at school. Millions of plastic bags from student breakfasts end up in our oceans. I hope schools will consider switching from plastic to paper bags, as supermarkets have done.

This is not simply a matter of feeding kids; we are talking about the survival of the planet and our survival as a species.

Nina Kossman, PS 234, Qu