Apparatus for automatically processing carrying trays having used culinary items and refuse thereon whereby desired operations, such as collection and cleaning of reusable culinary items (e.g. knives, forks and spoons), separation and disposal of waste, and cleaning of the trays can be effected without need for operating personnel. In preferred systems the apparatus automatically stacks the cleaned trays and sorts and collects the cleaned reusable culinary items by type so that the trays and the culinary items are readily available for reuse.