The Senate has recently begun an initiative to reduce the amount of Styrofoam usage across campus. Members of Senate plan to promote the idea of environmental awareness and implement this vision as soon as next semester.
Appointed by Student Association vice president Luis Moreno, this subdivision provides students with the idea of environmental awareness concerning the amount of styrofoam produced and used, and also its ability to leak toxins into foods.
Though several ideas have been proposed on how to address this issue, as of right now, there are two main ways Senate members plan on fixing the problem, according to Senate member sophomore management major Nadine Peteros. The first plan would be to develop a premeasured reusable container that students can return to the cafe. The second plan would be to use a more biodegradable material. However, that would mean an increase in tuition due to biodegradable materials costing more than Styrofoam. In addition, even with the recycling programs already in place, it is still difficult since there are specifications around what is recyclable.
“That’s why I joined the Senate,” Peteros said. “Students aren’t recycling the right things. It’s one thing to put a plastic container into the recycling bin, but it’s another if there’s milk in it.
