BY: EVE PAPA
Perspectives Editor
As a known advocate for the temporary abolishment of straws in Outtakes, I am also a big fan of the new Linda’s containers. Not only are they better for the environment, but they represent an entire new mindset here on campus. Why do I like these containers better? It’s simple. Because they are made of biodegradable cardboard as opposed to the plastic ones we’ve had in previous years.
Part of the reason why I approved of getting rid of straws at Outtakes is that I believe we should be helping the environment in whatever ways we can – even if they are tiny changes to our lifestyle. Swapping the containers in Linda’s is without a doubt a tiny change as well, and if it’s going to make a difference then that’s wonderful. We have to at least try, in my opinion.
I don’t think anyone at Sacred Heart is complaining about the fact that we’re pushing to be eco-friendly; not many students here would go out of their way to protest the fact that Chartwells is trying to help the environment.
What students will protest (and are protesting), however, is the fact that Chartwells is making changes to the way they’ve normally operated. These changes then spill over into the dining experience of the students, and things are certainly different this year. The general complaints of students lie in the effect that these changes have produced to life on campus. Specifically, one of the major complaints I’ve been hearing about the new containers, is that they don’t hold as much food as the others did. While I agree that yes, the new ones are smaller, I don’t believe that the size change has made a difference in how much food we get. Back when we had the plastic containers, they were rarely ever filled to the brim with French fries or salad or Mexican rice bowls – it was usually just a handful and they left it at that.
Now, the same handful has the capacity to fill the entire new container. And that’s quite alright with me. Another one of the main complaints I’ve been hearing is that even though these containers are better for the environment, we don’t recycle them anyway. And I’d like to take the time here to say: I agree completely with this one.
I am very glad that these new containers are biodegradable (and I fully believe that it will make a difference). But the recycling problem here on campus has to be fixed. We have recycling bins. But if all the rumors I’ve heard are correct, the contents of these recycling bins are thrown in the trash and not actually recycled. I hope with all my heart that this isn’t true, but I have a bad feeling that it is. Because if we could recycle these new paper containers rather than throwing them out, that would be even better.
Without a doubt, there are pro’s and con’s to the changes at Linda’s. And without a doubt, there is still much work that needs to be done here on the road to sustainability. But at the end of the debate about these changes, I am proud of Chartwells and Sacred Heart’s recent initiatives. I believe that the eco-friendly mindset on campus can only get better from here, and I believe that the change in containers is a step in the right direction.
