Sophomore computer science major Andres Mbouh poses with the new Dining Services cup outside the South Campus Dining Hall.
Ben Susman eats at the South Campus Dining Hall every day. When he went to grab a drink last week, he saw new cups stacked next to the soda machines.
“I was kind of surprised,” the senior history and journalism major said. “It felt kind of strange to have one set of cups one day and one set another day.”
As part of its sustainability efforts, Dining Services recently replaced its blue Pepsi cups in the North Campus and South Campus dining halls with fully compostable cups this semester.
While the old cups were compostable, they were less acceptable in commercial composting facilities than the new white cups, Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple said. The new cups are made of wax and made of 50 percent renewable resources.
PepsiCo Inc. introduced the new cups in 2011 as one of its five new options of eco-friendly, recyclable cups, but these cups were “cost-prohibitive,” Dining Services sustainability and wellness coordinator Allison Lilly said. The price recently dropped, making it an affordable option for this university, Hipple said.
“Things can take a while to put into play,” Hipple said of the department’s stance before the prices went down. “We use a huge number of these cups, so until Pepsi is willing to guarantee that they can supply us with the same number of cups at the same price at the time that we need them, we can’t do it. So we need to receive all of those assurances.”
While the new cups are environmentally friendly, they are only available in a 22-ounce size and are not suitable for hot drinks because of their material composition, Hipple said.
Freshman psychology major Alexis Tanenbaum said the cups were not as sturdy, but were overall beneficial.
“I’m big on the environment, so I support it. They’re kind of flimsy and very papery, but if it helps the environment and keeps my cold drink in it, then I’m all for it,” she said.
But some other students have not been as satisfied with the change and its consequences.
“They’re certainly a lot flimsier,” Susman said. “They can’t hold hot beverages. I haven’t gotten any refunds on my tuition yet, and the cups are made of 50 percent less material.”
But Lilly said the cups change is part of a larger movement within Dining Services to find greener substitutes for products it uses. While there are no specific upcoming projects, she said, the department continues to search for the next sustainable alternative.
“It is part of a constant process with the entire team. We’re looking for new products, and we want to replace the existing ones with more sustainable alternatives, and when they come in an affordable price range, we make the switch,” Lilly said.
Susman said he thinks the university can help the planet in other ways instead of just switching its cups.
“I’m all for being green and green initiatives, but there are bigger impacts than changing a takeout cup,” he said. “It gets to the larger point that we’re going to a school with a big bureaucracy, and these types of things affect people.”
