Every day, the 400 to 500 students who frequent Summerfields use roughly 150 to-go, non-reusable containers, according to Bon Appétit Dining Supervisor Joao Esteves. Now, through a collaborative effort between Bon Appétit, the WSA Dining Committee, and the University Sustainability Interns, those containers are being replaced with an eco-friendly and reusable alternative.
These new containers, made from recycled plastic, can be purchased for five points. In a further attempt to reduce campus waste and increase sustainability, creators of the program hope that the student body will be receptive to this new opportunity. As of Wednesday night, 120 of the 150 containers ordered by the University had been purchased by students, with 79 bought during the first day the new containers were made available for purchase.
“Initially, we were worried that people wouldn’t want to participate, but many students clearly care about the environment and have been excited to join the program,” said Jen Liebschutz ’11, chair of the WSA Dining Committee.
Students who wish to participate pay the initial five points in exchange for a key chain, which can then be exchanged for a reusable to-go container at any meal. Students are not responsible for washing the containers, but must bring them back to Summerfields, where they are then cleaned for reuse. Liebschutz explained that the cost of the key chain and container is equivalent to the five points paid by the student. The current disposable plastic to-go containers will now cost fifty cents in order to give students an incentive to buy into the new system.
Gilder Keeler ’11 has not yet purchased a key chain, but he plans to mainly for the monetary benefits.
“I’m sure I am going to get at least ten meals between now and the end of the year and then I can also use it next year,” Keeler said.
Keeler, who frequently orders meals to go from Usdan, expressed his frustration with having to pay the fifty-cent fee for disposable containers, which are available only during lunch.
Participants in the program can currently purchase and use the new containers at Summerfields only. Usdan will accept them during lunchtime when Summerfields closes for finals week. Liebschutz hopes that if this pilot program proves successful, a similar system will be instituted next year for lunches at Usdan, though Bon Appétit does not intend to extend this option to dinner hours at this location.
“We wanted to start small in order for the program to be successful,” Liebschutz said. “We definitely anticipate adding the program to Usdan next year if it works well this semester. Finals week will give us a chance to see if the program will be viable at Usdan.”
Susan, a cashier at Summerfields who did not wish to provide her last name, lauded the new plan from an environmental standpoint.
“I think it’s a very good idea,” she said. “A lot of kids were getting to-go, eating here [in Summerfields], and then throwing the plastic containers out when they leave. It was building up. It was a waste!”
The University based the program off of a similar system that began at Eckerd College, a small liberal arts college in Florida that also contracts with Bon Appétit. In the summer of 2007, an Eckerd student received a thirty-two thousand dollar grant from the Environmental Research and Education Foundation—a self-described “independent public grant-making entity” that assists in creating environmentalist programs—to develop a to-go system at the college that could be applied nationally. After implementing the system, over 90 percent of the Eckerd student body bought into the program.
This work caught the eye of Alexandra San Roman ’11, a sustainability intern, who had been working on improving Wesleyan’s to-go system since December of last year. After researching Eckerd’s initiative, San Roman approached Liebschutz about tailoring the program to the University’s needs.
Bon Appétit was receptive to the proposed idea, as it had worked well under their management at Eckerd. Bernice Laille, director of Technology and Marketing for Bon Appétit, explained that the main considerations before implementation were deciding how much to charge, which type of container to use, and how to best present the program to students.
Overall, Laille sees this as another positive step towards sustainable dining. Current initiatives include Usdan’s Trayless Tuesday, in which Bon Appétit does not provide trays to diners. They hope that students will take fewer items as a result, reducing the amount of both wasted food and water used to wash multiple dishes. Laille noted that washing just one container uses far less water than for the tray, plate, and cup that a student uses at a typical meal.
“We are always open to new ideas,” Laille said. “We’ll see how things turn out.”
Liebschutz has been pleased with the positive response from the student body. She noted, however, that some students with whom she spoke raised concerns over details of the program, such as the washing aspect and whether the containers could be used or returned to any other campus dining locations.
Rhyan Toledo ’12, who has purchased a new container, wishes that it could be used across campus.
“I think it’s a good idea but I think more people would buy them and it would make more sense if they had a campus-wide use,” Toledo said.
Other students, like Geri Rosenberg ’12, chose not to purchase the reusable container because it is not conducive to their schedule.
“I go to Summerfields because I like the smaller atmosphere,” Rosenberg said. “Usually when I go to Summerfields I go with a lot of people so we can have an hour or two for dinner. I mainly never get to go.”
Anne Rosenthal ’10, the Environmental Organizers Network representative to the dining committee, reinforced that this pilot program will only grow if there is adequate student demand.
“Bon Appétit has been so receptive about our sustainability efforts,” Rosenthal said. “But the more positive student response we receive this year, the more convenient it will get next year.”