Waynesburg University

According to Eco Friendly Habbits, Styrofoam is the most littered waste product and is responsible for filling 30% of global landfills. Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Benedum Dining Hall offered a takeout option for students to utilize. This takeout option was available through styrofoam to-go boxes. Walking through campus and through dorms, those boxes could be seen overflowing trash cans. 

As an environmentally friendly alternative, Student Senate leaders, Waynesburg University staff and Aladdin Dining Services all teamed up to provide reusable takeout containers.

This solution has been in the making for a long time. 

According to Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment, last spring three student senator leaders, Isaiah Skeete, Andrew Hreha and Luke Diel put together a presentation for Payne, the director of Aladdin food services, the regional director and the Dean of Students, describing the implementation and benefits of a reusable to-go box program. 

“We said ‘this is great, let’s do it’,” Payne said. “So, over the summer, Aladdin sourced out where we could get the sustainable takeout containers. Then we launched the program and have been really happy with the results.

The available set of reusable to-go boxes for students consists of three different containers and sizes. There is a large box, a small size and a soup container. 

Students can use their flex dollars to purchase a reusable to-go box. The prices of these boxes are $7 for a large, $4 for a small, $2 for the soup container and if a student wishes to purchase the whole set it will cost $12.

These boxes are available at a display at the front table when students walk into the dining hall. Next to the display boxes is a sign that describes their function, benefits and the process of buying and getting the boxes cleaned.

Along with environmental benefits, another benefit of the to-go boxes is allowing students with non-flexible schedules to take out food to eat as a future meal they wouldn’t have time to stop in at the dining hall to eat. 

Ethan Lown, chair of the Student Senate Campus Affairs Committee explained how these to-go boxes benefited students with busy schedules.

“It is another meal option for students. They can bring back food to their room and eat it at any time without having to be constrained to the hours of Benedum,” Lown said. “It’s nice for student athletes if they have practice, they can get something from Benedum to go and then eat it at a later time.”

The purchase of a to-go box also comes with free washes for it. Luke Diel, Student Senate president described the process of buying a reusable to-go box and getting it cleaned as simple and beneficial. 

“One of the amazing things that we found that other universities were doing is that students would pay a one time fee and get to keep the box for as long as they would like,” Diel said. “You actually don’t even need to clean it. Students can bring it back to the cafe, and they will clean it for you. You will then receive a token so the next time you need a to-go box you can use that token to get a new one.” 

New to-go boxes available for students at the Benedum dining hall are environmentally friendly and provide students with another dining option. They can be purchased at the front station when students walk into the dining hall.