Pacific Gets Greener with Sustainability Initiatives

Pacific’s Dining Services is getting greener.

Aramark and Starbucks at Pacific are working closely with the university’s Center for a Sustainable Society to reduce waste, increase composting, and provide students with the opportunities they have asked for to improve sustainability on campus.

Meanwhile, both Aramark and Starbucks’ parent companies have announced plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020 and to decrease plastic packaging and waste. In addition to eliminating plastic straws, Starbucks is switching to alternative lids for cold beverages, and Aramark is working with suppliers to decrease plastic packaging.

What to Watch For

• Skip the straw. Starbucks is working through its supply of plastic straws, but they’re only available by request right now. Skip it and keep the plastic out of the landfill.
• Note new lids. Starbucks also is switching to Cold Brew Nitro lids for cold cups.
• Check out a mug. Offered in collaboration for the Center for a Sustainable Society, the Mug Library sits outside the P.O.D. & Starbucks. Pick up a clean mug to fill with coffee, then drop it back off in the dirty section to be washed and offered up to the next user.
• Campus composting. Aramark partners with Waste Management to compost kitchen and food waste. Last spring, Aramark also added composting options to catered events and worked with the Center for a Sustainable Society to pilot composting in residence halls. Coming this year: Expanded composting in residence halls and some staff kitchenettes. Aramark also will open campus composting facilities to area businesses to help build their own processes.
• Greener Gatherings. In response to student calls for improved sustainability, Aramark at Pacific University has introduced reusable bamboo-ware for catering. This will be the default option for catering, though events with 150-plus attendees are likely to receive dishware made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled material, until bamboo-ware supplies increase. Groups who opt out of the more sustainable options will be charged an environmental fee.