With recent discussions surrounding the threat of climate change, it’s safe to say global warming has been a “hot” topic lately – no pun intended. Though it’s inevitably been weighing on the minds of world leaders and politicians, improving the environment is something for which each one of us play a vital role. So what can Penn State students do? Lucky for us, Penn State Food Services has made it easy with a new initiative to help reduce the carbon footprints of students and the university as a whole.
Through their continued commitment to improving the sustainability of the university, the Green2Go program was implemented at the beginning of the fall semester in Redifer Commons and is now celebrating one semester Styrofoam free. The goal of the program is to reduce student waste by swapping out the Styrofoam containers used for carryout meals with eco-friendly, reusable containers that can be used repeatedly throughout the semester. Students can use the containers to take their food to-go and return them later in exchange for a clean container or a carabiner to keep with their IDs for their next carryout meals.
So far, Green2Go has helped reduce student use of Styrofoam, but obstacles have been identified in regards to the return rate of the containers. Currently, only 11% of campus dining’s total Green2Go containers remain in-house, which leaves 3,827 unaccounted for Green2Go containers and a shortage in the dining commons. If the issue continues, the Styrofoam containers will be forced back into the equation, defeating the program’s purpose and mission.
Though we all know having to fit one more thing in our overstuffed backpacks isn’t always ideal, when it means improving the environment and having a positive impact on the global population, isn’t it worth it? Let’s all work toward improving this program and helping Penn State Food Services succeed in their goal to create an environmentally friendly university.
Protect the environment, reduce your waste, and return your containers!
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