UCF dining halls switch to earth-friendly takeout boxes

Disposable to-go boxes are a thing of the past for UCF dining halls.

As a part of UCF Dining Services' environmental sustainability efforts, Knightro's and the Marketplace now only offer reusable "green" boxes for students wanting to take their food to-go.

The initiative will divert 145,000 foam boxes from going into landfills annually, said Eden Wetherell, sustainability coordinator for UCF Dining Services.

The "green" boxes are free for any student with a meal plan. Those without meal plans are required to put down a $5 deposit to use the boxes, which are returned to UCF Dining Services at the end of the year.

Students who use the boxes return them to the dining halls during their next visit, where they are traded out for a new, sanitized box.

Aramark, the food service company that owns and operates the dining halls, began encouraging UCF students to use the reusable boxes during Spring 2010, but did not make the use mandatory until now.

"The first semester we started using to-go boxes, we had over a quarter of our meal-plan holders pick them up because they wanted to try them out," Wetherell said. "We're trying to cultivate an environment of sustainability, but it takes time."

The leak-proof and microwavable boxes are made out of plastic No. 5, also known as polypropylene. Polypropylene is known for its durability, high melting point and recyclability.

Wetherell said that the new boxes last up to two years being cleaned by commercial dishwashing machines such as the ones used at Marketplace and Knightro's.

The former to-go boxes provided by the dining halls were made from polystyrene foam, which aids in the creation of the pollutant o-zone and has very little potential to be recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

"It educates the students directly because they're actually carrying it in their hands," said Sebastian Church, co-president of UCF Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions. "They might not understand why Styrofoam is bad, but now they know there's something better."

Polystyrene can also be toxic to the human body, as the foam can release harmful chemicals into the foods it is containing.

Aramark purchased 1,584 "green" boxes for an undisclosed price for the dining halls. On the manufacturer's website, GET Enterprises, the boxes have an approximate advertised price of $45 per dozen.

"The savings are in the long haul. The benefits we're reaping now is being able to help the university, students and the environment," Wetherell said. "We may not see a financial return right away, but that's OK because regardless, we know how important sustainability is."

"It's just an example of how UCF is starting to recognize how small things can impact the environment," Church said. "We're looking at these small parts of living in society and trying to make them more sustainable, trying to find solutions. That's what Aramark has done. They've found a brilliant solution that's incredibly impactful."

Since the pilot phases of the "green" box initiative, dining services has seen a growing interest in the use. However, student response is varied in regards to the way in which they are now required to transport their takeout.

"I think they're better than the plastic boxes," freshman Iesha Johnson said. "They save waste, and they're reusable."

"They're pretty convenient, I suppose," freshman computer sciences major Brett Wendrzyk said. "Personally, I liked the Styrofoam ones because I didn't have to remember to bring the green box, and sometimes their washers break down."

Wetherell said that the money that will be saved in the long-term by purchasing reusable to-go boxes will go towards other sustainability projects and events that educate students on why initiatives such as this one are important.

Dining Services has also started selling "2-in-1" beverage tumblers, which allow students to receive 99-cent refills on drip coffee and fountain drinks.

The tumblers cost $5 and can be used at the dining halls as well as non-Aramark owned, on-campus vendors such as Sbarro, Joffrey's, Mrs. Fields and the cafes in both UCF bookstores.