Campus Dining has been working to reduce waste with new reusable containers at both the Vista Grande Dining Facility and the new 1901 Marketplace. They are also launching a pilot program with Reuse Pass, a tech-enabled reusable takeout container system designed to reduce waste from compostable containers.
“It has been a longtime goal of ours to expand our reusables on campus to meet our zero waste goals and do the right sustainable thing,” Campus Dining’s sustainability coordinator Kaitlin Gibbons said.
According to their website, Reuse Pass is easy to use as it allows students to scan a QR code and receive their orders in reusable containers, which they will drop off at a designated location to be picked up within three days. Gibbons hopes that they can begin using the program near mid-February.
“What we liked about Reuse Pass was that it was tech-enabled and integrates with our GrubHub ordering system,” Gibbons said. “That was really the key for us in choosing this company as it will enable students to choose a reusable option when ordering on GrubHub.”
According to Gibbons, Vista Grande launched a pilot program this fall on trialing a new compostable container alongside the reusable containers currently being used at Vista Grande Express. However, compliance with waste sorting between trash and recyclables has been an issue.
Environmental management and protection senior Simran Kamal worked at Vista Grande Express last year, and would see “students very frequently not sort their trash and put recyclables in the trash or unclean plastic and aluminum in the recycling.”
According to Gibbons, they plan to tackle this issue with a relaunch of the program and working alongside the Green Campus Team, a group of students and staff who work on educational outreach for students when sorting their trash out in bins.
“The main thing we want to get through to the people we interact with is to consider that their actions and inactions have environmental consequences,” marine sciences senior and part of the Campus Reuse team Angelo LaCommare-Soto said.
Gibbons also said that another major issue is the plastic silverware that is currently being used on campus. Students often forget to take out the silverware out of the compostable container, which results in contamination. They are looking towards a wood utensil to resolve that issue and prevent plastic contaminants from being disposed of in compost bins.
San Luis Obispo has a facility — Kompogas SLO — which collects and recycles expired food and kitchen scraps and recycles it to generate renewable energy and all-natural fertilizer. As stated on their website, it also reduces one’s carbon footprint and prevents organic waste from ending up in a landfill.
“We hope to continue helping sort waste at major dining areas and during major campus events so that students eventually get a better sense about the items that are compostable and recyclable,” LaCommare-Soto said.