Food service making effort towards sustainability

When entering the Courtside Café you can see they have made efforts towards healthier eating.  Fresh salads, wraps and fresh fruit are now being offered.  Although food is one aspect of healthy living, so is the concept of a healthy environment. 

The continued use of Styrofoam and the lack of paper recycling bins in the food service buildings around campus might make you think otherwise.  According the Director of Dining Services, Steve Rose, they have made quite an effort to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. 

Rose is somewhat of an advocate for Styrofoam use. 

"As a food service director I will always recommend it.  There are other things that are coming out but the problem is they are three to four times more expensive than our common Styrofoam operation.  Foam is going to keep your cold beverages colder and hot foods hotter." Rose said.

There is much debate on the issue of using Styrofoam but Rose feels, as of right now, it is the best option. 

"It's a big debate and a tough debate, I will agree.  There are a lot of misconceptions about foam.  The problem with foam is when you burn it then it becomes toxic, but if you put it in the ground it actually does not contaminate the soil."

One issue is cost and Styrofoam cups tend to be cheaper than bio-degradable products.

"A foam cup can cost as much as five to six cents, whereas if we go with what some would consider the complete bio-degradable form, could be as much as 13 to 14 percent more.  So over a year's time you are talking about a lot of money to a food service operation and unfortunately right now we can't go to that," Rose explained.

Rose admitted the food service department is not completely sustainable but believes the future may present positive changes.

"My hope is to work towards these better things.  That over the years, technology will come with things so that path will become clearer."   

Rose is open to any suggestions from faculty or students on how to become more environmentally conscious or more sustainable.  You can submit these suggestions to swrose@iusb.edu.