Dana Saves The Planet: Plans to Introduce Reusable Containers

It is always a great day to be a Saint, but this rings especially true when you can grab a To-Go meal from Dana and save the planet all in one! Starting Monday, February 2nd, Dana will begin running a pilot program that provides reusable plastic containers for take out food. Lanika Sanders ’17 explains how it works: “If students choose to buy into the program, they pay $5 in cash (or can charge it to their CWA or Full Flex accounts). They don’t have to use the container the first time, but when they do choose to use it, their card is swiped and a $5 credit is deducted from their account. They fill the container like normal, and the next time they come back to Dana with a dirty container, their card is swiped and a $5 credit is added.” She continued, “If they then want to use another clean container, a $5 charge is again deducted [and when the container is again returned, the money is put back onto the student’s account].”
Sanders and SLU Sustainability Coordinator Louise Gava began working on this initiative last year and received a grant from the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute’s “Greenovate NYS” Student Competition. This program is also a part of the SLU ReUse Campaign through the Environmental Action Organization. “Not only do we want to prevent pounds and pounds of plastic from entering SLU’s waste stream, we hope this program will help alter social norms to facilitate more environmentally responsible behavior on campus,” explains Sanders.
Some students might be hesitant to drop the initial five dollars required to buy in to the program, but for those that frequently utilize the Dana To-Go option, this can likely save students money in the long run. Disposable containers will remain available for the time being and, this being pilot program, only 100 students will be able to participate as of February 2nd. However, Dining Services hopes to make this a permanent program that all community members are encouraged to utilize. Each disposal container costs $0.86 and presently, the St. Lawrence community goes through 11,880 containers each year. This costs Dining Services a total of $10,216.80 annually. In the future, there will likely be an incentive for students to make the switch to the reusable To-Go containers, as it is economically beneficial to students and the university as well as environmentally friendly.
When surveyed, students expressed concerns about sanitization of the containers. Rest assured, all reusable To-Go containers will be sterilized in the same industrial strength dishwasher that is used to clean the plates and silverware we use everyday in Dana. Dining Services is excited about making the switch to this more environmentally friendly option. You should be too.