Disappearing Cups Strain Dining Services' Budget

Author: Becky Ruby Staff Writer

Students may have noticed that the stacks of plastic cup racks in Proctor Dining Hall has seemed shorter lately. In fact, during the busy lunch and dinner rushes, the lack of reusable cups has forced Dining Services to provide paper cups for student use.

Already this year, Dining Services has lost over 2,200 plastic tumblers, not to mention the numerous mugs, pieces of silverware and dishes that have been taken from the dining halls and never brought back.

"We let people leave the dining halls with all sorts of cups, plates and bowls. We don't care so much that they are going out, but they do have to come back," said Associate Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette.

Each year Dining Services budgets money for the replacement of equipment that breaks or goes missing. Much of this year's money has already been used to replace missing cups and other utensils. Since September, Dining Services has spent over $2,000 replacing dining hall cups, according to Dining Services Purchasing Agent Charles Sargent.

The plastic tumblers the dining halls use cost just over one dollar each.

Biette noted that the College invested money in the plastic tumblers because they are sturdy, they do not break easily, they hold a lot of liquid and, most importantly, because they are reusable.

"There's only so much money in the pot to cover these kinds of expenses, and we must make it go as effectively as possible," said Biette. He noted that Dining Services could not afford to continue spending this kind of money on the replacement of dishes and cups.

The budget is not the only thing hurting by the missing dining hall tumblers. To make up for the loss of plastic cups, Dining Services has had to use non-reusable paper cups.

Connie Bisson, the College's Sustainable Campus coordinator, commented that the use of paper cups in the dining halls harms the environment by creating more waste.

She also noted that using disposable cups goes against Dining Services' mission since it was a departmental pioneer in the quest for more environmentally friendly College practices.

"We have the option to use reusable cups, and we should. We should be able to use these cups in a responsible way, and not take the supply that should be in the dining halls," said Bisson.

Russell Hulst, the unit manager at Freeman and Hamlin Dining Halls, said he was upset that Dining Services had to resort to paper cups. "We try to do so much that is environmentally friendly," he said. "We compost leftover food. We are having a Thanksgiving dinner next week with Vermont grown and organic foods. Using all of these paper products in the dining halls is killing trees, and we don't want to do it."

Each first-year student at Middlebury, as well as all new faculty and staff members, receive a plastic C.U.P.P.S. – "Can't Use Paper, Plastic or Styrofoam" – mug when they arrive at Middlebury.

The C.U.P.P.S. program is a Dining Services initiative, whereby the department budgets money for each new student to have a hot/cold mug with a lid and a backpack clip.

The C.U.P.P.S. program was intended to provide students with a means to take beverages away from the dining halls without using disposable containers.

Bisson noted that these mugs were an easy way to "eat and drink outside of the dining halls without damaging the environment or misusing the cups the dining halls provide for the students."

Both Bisson and Biette said they encouraged students to use their College-provided mugs instead of taking plastic cups from the dining halls.

Nina Stowe, a barrista at the Juice Bar in The Grille, said she was happy to help with this goal by washing out C.U.P.P.S. mugs for students. "All you have to do is ask," said Stowe.

Bisson said that the Environmental Council (EC), on which she serves as chair, has been discussing ways to encourage students to return dining hall cups. Last year, several students went door to door in various dorms collecting dining hall dishes and cups, an endeavor which Bisson said was very successful.

This year, she said, the EC is working on a method of returning that will "not make students reluctant to return things because they feel guilty."

One such initiative, facilitated through the Middlebury Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD), is the placement of dish return boxes in the dorms on campus.

"[MISD] has been working with the Resident Assistants to set up a series of plate drop boxes in all the dorms," said Biette. "It would be better if people would just return them to the dining halls, but our number one goal is to get the cups back, so for now, this is a good solution."

On Tuesday, the plate drop box in Hepburn Dormitory was overflowing with plates, cups, silverware and even trays.

"This seems to be working. It is convenient to the students, and I think they see it as a way to return things with no concern for blame," said Bisson. Biette said that he hoped the dishes in the boxes would be returned to the dining halls promptly.

Biette said that Dining Services does not want to police the doors to the dining halls or "shake down students to make sure they aren't taking any dishes." He emphasized that the dining halls need the plates and cups returned, because it is eating up too much of their budget and it forcing them to use paper cups instead.

"We allow you to eat and drink as much as you want while you're here," said Hulst. "We don't want to be the bad guys, but we also don't want to use paper cups. Our budget is really hurting."

Hulst commented that members of the Custodial Staff sometimes bring cups and dishes left around the dorms back to the dining halls. "We are very appreciative of that," he said, "but students should be doing this on their own."

Biette asked that students take a moment to reflect on the effects of taking dining hall dishes, silverware and cups. "If you wonder why there are no cups for you to use in Proctor, it is probably because you left them in your room," he said.