Sodexo has implemented a new program for carry out containers designed to decrease waste and increase student dining flexibility.
Sodexo’s Waste Watch REUSE TO-GO Meal Program Procedures were implemented in September and are designed to eliminate single-use containers as a way to reduce campus dining services’ carbon footprint.
The program has also provided those using the dining hall with more meal portability, opening up flexibility to pick up food now and dine later or to take their meals outside of the dining hall.
According to Dan King, Operations Manager at Whitworth Dining, when entering the dining hall, diners have the option to pay a one-time $5 fee to join the program. Once they make this payment, they receive a special carabiner clip.
This clip can be exchanged upon entry into the dining hall for a green plastic meal box and soup cup. Diners can fill up their containers in the dining hall and then take them anywhere on or off campus.
After they’ve been used, the containers can be dropped off at the entrance of the dining hall to be cleaned and sanitized. Diners then receive either a clean container or a new carabiner. If customers lose their carabiner clip, they can pay another $5 to replace it.
The reusable food containers include compostable utensils which students can place in one of the compost bins in the HUB or, if their residence hall participates, a hall compost bin.
Last year, students in quarantine housing awaiting COVID-19 test results or waiting out positive COVID-19 diagnoses had to receive their meals in non-reusable to-go containers accompanied by plastic silverware. This led to a huge increase in the amount of waste produced by campus dining hall services.
“[The program] has helped eliminate the need to purchase and throw away single use food containers. So, in that regard, [there is a] 100% elimination of waste of single use packaging,” said King.
According to King, as of the end of September, approximately 30-40 people utilize the to-go boxes at each meal, which hopefully signifies a step in the right direction for sustainability on Whitworth’s campus.
