Spring Break
Cafeteria should re-evaluate initiatives for going green
Patrick Sutton
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Editorial
I guess by now I've come to terms with No Tray Day. I've gotten used to no more hot breakfast in the cafeteria. I've even come to like the new pop-up napkin dispensers.
But the past two weeks in the cafeteria have been utterly ridiculous. Because of "broken dishwashing equipment," we have been using Styrofoam plates and plastic cups for the better portion of two weeks.
Occasionally, Styrofoam is alright - like on a day when the weather is snowy and the cafeteria workers need to get home safely. But being forced to use them for two weeks is nonsense.
I find it especially ironic that Food Services is making every push possible to be more "green" and "sustainable," but yet we have been using one of the least environmentally friendly solutions available for the past two weeks.
I still think that the claim that No Tray Day conserves miraculous amounts of energy is silly. To be honest, the reason I waste food is because it's not cooked to my liking, not because I simply took "more than I can carry." Every Tuesday, I need to make at least two trips to my table just so I can get everything I need for a meal. Not having a tray makes it impossible to carry a drink without spilling. Also, if I am having a salad, I prefer a separate plate, and it is nearly impossible to carry all of these things at once.
Also, the plates (prior to the Great Dishwasher Outage of 2008) are far too hot to be able to hold by hand. The tray is sometimes necessary so as not to burn yourself.
When I finally get to my table, the cracked, blue plastic cups leak everywhere, causing a sticky mess. The tables on No Tray Day are always filthy regardless of what time of day it is. I personally would rather have a clean, non-sticky table than conserve "food waste."
But, what good is No Tray Day, when its effects are being negated dozens of times over by using Styrofoam? When sitting in a landfill, Styrofoam takes longer than any other material to break down, thereby unnecessarily causing the landfill to be full. When it does finally break down, it releases CFCs into the air, which deplete the Ozone layer. Without an Ozone layer, harmful UV rays are able to penetrate the air, increasing the risk of skin cancer tremendously.
But the past two weeks in the cafeteria have been utterly ridiculous. Because of "broken dishwashing equipment," we have been using Styrofoam plates and plastic cups for the better portion of two weeks.
Occasionally, Styrofoam is alright - like on a day when the weather is snowy and the cafeteria workers need to get home safely. But being forced to use them for two weeks is nonsense.
I find it especially ironic that Food Services is making every push possible to be more "green" and "sustainable," but yet we have been using one of the least environmentally friendly solutions available for the past two weeks.
I still think that the claim that No Tray Day conserves miraculous amounts of energy is silly. To be honest, the reason I waste food is because it's not cooked to my liking, not because I simply took "more than I can carry." Every Tuesday, I need to make at least two trips to my table just so I can get everything I need for a meal. Not having a tray makes it impossible to carry a drink without spilling. Also, if I am having a salad, I prefer a separate plate, and it is nearly impossible to carry all of these things at once.
Also, the plates (prior to the Great Dishwasher Outage of 2008) are far too hot to be able to hold by hand. The tray is sometimes necessary so as not to burn yourself.
When I finally get to my table, the cracked, blue plastic cups leak everywhere, causing a sticky mess. The tables on No Tray Day are always filthy regardless of what time of day it is. I personally would rather have a clean, non-sticky table than conserve "food waste."
But, what good is No Tray Day, when its effects are being negated dozens of times over by using Styrofoam? When sitting in a landfill, Styrofoam takes longer than any other material to break down, thereby unnecessarily causing the landfill to be full. When it does finally break down, it releases CFCs into the air, which deplete the Ozone layer. Without an Ozone layer, harmful UV rays are able to penetrate the air, increasing the risk of skin cancer tremendously.
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