Alec Frey ’16: John Famileti, Director of Food Services, and the dining staff are doing their part in the global cause of trying to cut back on waste and its associated cost by instituting new reusable to-go containers as a carryout option for students and faculty this year. The global phenomenon of waste has especially affected Episcopal Academy recently, as just last year we went through 25,000 biodegradable cardboard takeout boxes. There is little doubt that this trend of wastefulness, particularly at Episcopal, should stop.
It is clear that the transparent takeout containers Famileti and his staff have implemented this year are a solution for the future, and when asked why these containers, why now, Famileti explained, “Last year we went through twenty-five thousand throwaway containers. First we started out with Styrofoam, and some people were upset about their biodegradability, and they took up a lot of space in the trash so we made the move to the biodegradable containers. Those containers, however, were four times the cost of Styrofoam, and we were finding that cost far too much money. We were going through one hundred and fifty to two hundred containers per day and the trash issues that arose from that were getting out of hand.” Not only was their use wasteful, but also the heaping mounds of garbage and pungent odor that came along with them were hardly bearable, and more importantly, barely sanitary.
Photo Courtesy of Lily Stavropoulos ’18
Another important aspect in consideration of the new re-usable containers is their cost. Yes, when a student sees $8.00, they will often jump to the conclusion of “too expensive”; however, when considering that the vast majority of takeout container users bought more than 10 containers, at approximately $0.85, in an entire year, the new re-usable containers pay for themselves multiple times over.
Despite the fact that the new re-usable to-go containers are cost-effective and eco-friendly, there are still “mixed feelings” among the student body. Julia Adelizzi ’16 expresssed her take on the new boxes stating, “The new containers are a good concept in that they are eco-friendly, but it will most likely be difficult for them to catch on with the students the way they have with the faculty because of their initial cost, the look of them, and the possible health issues that could happen due to their uncleanliness.” The health issues that could come from these takeout containers are definitely a concern. However, Famileti responded to the possible health risks, saying, “There are none, as long as people run the containers through their dishwasher. We originally thought that we would wash them here, but the pileup that would occur from constantly having to wash the containers, in addition to the usual trays, plates, and silverware, along with having to find their owners would prove to be too much.”
Ultimately, the use of the re-usable to-go containers becomes a simple matter of choice, as it always was. There is little doubt about their cost-effectiveness and eco-consciousness; it’s now a matter of effort and concern. For those who believe firmly in the eco-friendly aspects of using the takeout containers, they would be the ideal choice, but for those who don’t want to go through the effort of bringing the containers home to wash them so as to avoid their possible bacterial health risks, they should just pick up a tray and take a seat in the cafeteria.