In 2004 Mount Holyoke’s Dining Services lost approximately $33,000* worth of china (bowls, plates, cups etc.) in just one academic year. This was mostly due to students removing and not returning dishes from the dining halls. This coincided with the growing need from students for portable dining options. As students’ schedules became more hectic and jam-packed there arose a need for alternatives to traditional sit-in dining. Thus, to-go dining was born, allowing students to take food out of the dining halls in portable, disposable containers.

However, what began as dining services working with the needs of the students has turned into a system of overuse and waste. While the loss of china has dramatically decreased (down to $3,000 in 2009), there has been little saving. Totaling the cost of green basket loss, to-go wear costs and china still being lost, the bill comes out to roughly $20,000. But overall, students do not notice their usage. You take one cup here, accidently throw away a green basket there. You’re just one student, and it’s not like you take five cups full of cereal at every meal! Right? You don’t abuse the system. Or do you?

Well, why do we use to-go ware? Our schedules are busy, we take a fourth meal, we want a late night snack, we take food for a guest visiting us, and so forth. This may seem like no reason for alarm, however all of our individual habits add up in a big way. Here is a break down:

To-go ware used in dining halls for the ’09-’10 year thus far (not even counting Blanchard, Torrey or Kendade):

Looked at closely, these numbers are astounding. This means that so far, each student has used 67 to go cups. Let me repeat: 67 cups-for one student. And these numbers are only for this academic year to date. What these numbers show is an abuse of the to-go system and lack of knowledge from the student body.

What has began intended to help, has turned into a burden on dining services as well as a profound environmental waste—a waste of resources from your $5,840 board plan (not $50,000 contrary to popular belief!). To-go products are neither recyclable nor compostable, due to a wax coating moisture barrier. Therefore, all of these products end up in the trash. In addition to the waste factor, the production of these items also cause considerable waste. Paper products require substantial amounts of water and ceramic and plastic wear require petroleum and sizable amounts of energy.

So, what can we as a student body do to help? Put simply: Think. Next time you are about to reach for a paper cup stop, think, and ask yourself if you need that extra cup of cereal. Do you need that cup of noodles, which will eventually end up in the trash? If you would like a beverage try instead to bring a reusable mug. Also to help, you can gather up any china that is walked out of the dining halls and bring it to the hall kitchenettes for collection.

In writing this, I am by no means trying to cast the student body as a gang of villains plotting to drain dining services of its funds and destroy the earth. I simply hope that by reading this we become a more conscious student aware of our impact.

*All figures were provided by MHC Dining Services.

Related posts:

1. Eco-rep campaign removes to-go cups from dining halls for one week to raise waste awareness and “change habits”
2. Dining Services to implement changes to Torrey, breakfast
3. Dining Services to phase out to-go cups to prevent unnecessary waste
4. Campus orgs hold Dining Services Awareness Week
5. The great to-go cup debate of 2008