Staff Editorial: In Crimson Cafeteria, Aramark serves hypocrisy in Styrofoam containers

Students arriving at St. Joe's last year were greeted by Aramark's pledge to reduce their carbon footprint with new, more eco-friendly policies. This year, that promise has evidently been put aside in favor of paper cups and Styrofoam take-out containers.

New policies enacted by Aramark this year have changed how Saint Joseph's students are able to obtain their food. For students who can't or wish not to stay in the cafeteria to eat their food, a new policy now requires them to place their food in a Styrofoam take-out container with a matching paper cup and plastic utensil set.

For the sake of brevity, we'll ignore the fact that the phrase "all-you-care-to-eat" has been reduced to "all you can jam into a container." We also won't touch on Aramark's continuing quest to reduce the value you get from your meal plan, or other inconvenient policies. We'll also move past the practice by which you must leave your ID card with the cashier as a deposit while you pick up your food.

Of the impressive litany of issues presented, the most glaring is the sudden environmental about-face by the food services provider. Part of the new Crimson Café was not only the appeal of unlimited dining for one flat rate, but the elimination of products such as disposable plates and utensils for more sustainable options.

The return of those very same plastic and Styrofoam products, which boast a global warming potential up to 1000 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, is a cause for concern and questioning of what Aramark's aims really are. Evidence suggests that those goals are driven by the demands of the bottom line.

For example, the cost of 200 foam containers made by Dart (263 cubic inches) at Sam's Club comes to $24.62, or 12 cents a container. By comparison, 160 similarly sized Bio-Pak products, made of biodegradable plastic resin, cost 69 cents per container, while boxes made out of compostable and biodegradable cane sugar bagasse cost 29 cents per container.

The adherence to the bottom line, especially in this economic climate, is understandable. But it's an insult to the student body of Saint Joseph's to espouse ostensibly solid values that turn out to be readily abandoned by shifting market forces.

The new policies amount to just that: a 17-cent promise that's been taken out with the trash.

The Hawk Staff