Carolina Dining Services has created a new sustainability initiative to contribute to responsible waste practices across campus.
The new program – which includes removing disposable, hot beverage cups typically used for coffee – has been in effect as of Sept. 9 in both Top of Lenoir and Chase Hall.
“Students may bring any reusable cup to the dining halls to get their drinks to go,” Scott Myers, director of Auxiliary Services for Campus Enterprises, said in an email. “By eliminating paper cups in these two dining halls, we estimate we will prevent 500,000 cups from being thrown out every year.”
Myers said all students with a meal plan were provided a free, reusable to-go cup for carry-out beverages in early September to facilitate the change. Coffee mugs and standard glasses, however, are still provided within both dining halls.
Although CDS is attempting to minimize its environmental footprint on campus with this program, other dining facilities continue to provide disposable beverage cups.