UNE’S Switch Back to a Sustainable Kitchen
COVID-19 took a toll on every aspect of our lives, but let's look at how it affected UNE's dining hall waste system...
Introduction of Disposable Dishes, Cutlery, and more.
As everything as we knew it began to shift into this unfamiliar reality, there were many difficult questions to answer and problems to solve. One of many the problems that UNE officials had to debate was how they were going to set up dining for students during such a delicate time.
As we know, UNE prides itself on its “Innovation for a Healthier Planet” 
so they obviously wanted to choose a sustainable option for waste in the kitchens during the pandemic; however, it was not the safest option for students, staff, and faculty. They ended up having to make the tough decision of removing ceramic dishes and metal cutlery and replacing it with aluminum dishes with aluminum foil coverings, plastic silverware, and paper cups. This luckily meant their water use would decrease since they no longer had to wash diner-used dishes; however, the plastic, paper, and aluminum waste was – in my opinion – extremely detrimental. The total amount of waste disposed is an incalculable number.
Of course, UNE still composted the food waste, so that was not an issue. The issue was by far the fact that every dish was a take-out dish. UNE made sure to buy compostable napkins (which they still use) and compostable plastic silverware, yet they chose to use disposable aluminum to-go containers that end up going into landfills 17% more than they would be recycled. Aluminum foil, on the other hand, cannot be recycled at all, as it is too thin of material. Each to-go container was wrapped with at least one layer of aluminum foil on top, causing a very lasting impact.
It is reported that residential waste volumes remain up by an average of 5% or more nationally as a result of this increase in take-out container use.
Bringing Back the Ceramic and Metal!
Once COVID numbers began to decrease, UNE decided to return to their previous use of ceramic dishes, glass cups, and metal cutlery. The dining hall went back to how it used to run before COVID and it has actually become easy to forget the struggle that was the UNE dining hall.
Introduction of Reusable To-Go Containers
Now, I am unaware if UNE used to have this program implemented before 2020 since I was a freshman the year the dining hall changed, but nonetheless, if this was an already existent idea, pre-pandemic, it is a wonderful idea. Many students on campus have full schedules that don’t allow them the time to stop for lunch, or even dinner, so introducing a system that allows them to get dining hall food to-go while also remaining sustainably conscious, is a big win for UNE.
The program basically entails the use of a thick reusable plastic to-go container that is returned to be cleaned after use. When you return your container, you can either grab a clean new one to use for a future time, or you can grab a green carabiner. This carabiner is essentially what you trade-in to get a new to-go container whenever you need one. It is very convenient and something you can easily put on your keychain or your backpack.
This system is very beneficial in my opinion and manages to successfully provide a to-go option without compromising UNE’s sustainable goals.
