In order to reduce our school’s carbon footprint, Union should stop providing students with plastic straws and opt for more sustainable ones instead. Recently, several states and cities have made strict laws surrounding the use of plastic straws because of their harmful impact on the environment and Starbucks has promised that they will stop using straws all together by 2020. Between Dutch, Starbucks, and the dining halls on campus, students are constantly using plastic straws. Instead of plastic straws, Union should switch to paper ones in all dining locations. Additionally, they should provide each incoming student with either a metal or glass reusable straw. Metal straws cost around $1/straw when bought in bulk, so for an incoming class of 550 students, the school could spend ~$550 and become an even more sustainable campus.
4 thoughts on “Presidential Green Grant Proposal: Reusable Straws”
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We should team up! I proposed reusable containers for the incoming first-years and you proposed straws so we should make it a packaged deal!
Like Marielle said, you two should team up! I think that reusable straws is a good idea to increase sustainability on Union’s campus. They, too, could be distributed as a package to incoming first-year students.
I think this proposal is awesome. Also, putting the cost in perspective makes it clear that it really would not be a huge investment at all. I also think this would benefit Union because it is defintiely a trend right now to use sustainable straws and Union could advertise this policy to attract incoming students. Win for Union and win for the environment!!
This is a great idea! I think many students and faculty are suggesting different ways to make our dining more environmentally friendly. For some, we have already seem paper straws being incorporated into dining, but of course reusable would be the better way! This idea is cost effective and a good way to reduce our paper and plastic use.