Purdue University’s COVID-19 action towards the carry out only option has been criticized in the past few weeks by many parents and students. Purdue Dining & Culinary have decided to pack meals in plastic and styrofoam, and aim to switch to recyclable containers in August. However, the amount of waste being produced by these changes have caused a high level of concern within the community regarding the harmful long term effects of these materials. 

These containers are a temporary solution to our current concerns of the pandemic, but is it the right plan to contaminate and pollute Purdue’s campus with piles of unnecessary waste? 

The proposed alternative by Purdue Dining is to use recyclable plastic instead of trash-only items. This seems environmentally friendly, however, it will not fix the excessive piling of trash or smell issues. Moreover, to properly recycle, students would need to rinse food and liquids completely from the containers, which would be difficult to enforce. According to the Environment Protection Agency out of all waste produced in the US in 2017, only 8.4% of it was actually recycled. Though Purdue’s recycling rate is higher at just under 30%, the addition of extra waste due to the single-use items risks more contamination in recycling bins that would likely lower the percentage.

The most liable and simple solution can be using reusable containers. The idea has already been implemented by Purdue Dining in the past. Just last year, Purdue used a Take Out program where students obtained a reusable green plastic container, picked up their food and once finished, the containers were returned to the dining courts and were washed and used again.

A valid thought because of COVID-19 is that single-use containers are safer than reusing containers. However, it has been shown that reusing containers is actually safe during the pandemic as long as they are washed properly. The Environmental Protection Agency has assured that by using EPA-registered disinfectants (which are the most common approved household disinfectants) or by operating dishwashers according to their manufacturing instructions, objects and surfaces can be safely and easily cleaned and reused. 

Now is the perfect time for Purdue to normalize reusable containers for all dining by making them widespread for the 2020 Fall semester. With this method, we would avoid the piling of unnecessary waste and not use plastic and styrofoam that will last in landfills for hundreds of years.

Purdue is a school that has always taken giant leaps. By resuming class in the fall, every student and faculty member should be responsible for taking care of our campus, health and environment. We cannot be a world-known STEM school and not innovate, adapt and help overcome the pandemic. We all have to hold each other accountable for the future of our school. The solution is not far away. We have implemented it before and we must do it again. 

This petition is backed by the Purdue Student Sustainability Council. We invite everyone to sign and share the petition and join the fight to use reusable containers!