Earth Day 2024: Planet vs. Plastics

This year’s Earth Day theme is ‘Planet vs. Plastics,’ which plays into EarthDay.org’s goal of building a plastic-free future. Single-use plastics, or those that cannot be recycled or reused safely and effectively, are the main contributors to this problem. Our demand for convenience, especially when it comes to food and beverages, only exacerbates the prevalence of plastics in our homes and, unfortunately, in our environment as well.

Here at Hopkins Dining, we are taking steps to reduce single-use plastics. While some plastics are necessary for the safety of our students and staff, here are some ways we reduce the plastic footprint of our kitchens and dining rooms.

• Hopkins Dining prefers to purchase items that are delivered in recyclable cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags or film. We ensure that these boxes are recycled properly at all our facilities.
• You may think that your beverage cups, salad bowls, and sushi containers are single-use plastics, but they’re actually made of plants! In fact, 98% of Hopkins Dining’s to-go items are prepared and served in compostable packaging. These items are picked up, along with all our kitchen and plate waste, and composted at a regional composting facility. This facility can process even the most advanced materials, so you can eat confidently knowing that your to-go packaging will be composted as long as you dispose of it in the correct bin.
• Hopkins Dining works with our beverage providers to reduce the amount of plastic sold in our retail locations and replace it with other recyclable materials, like aluminum. When no other material is available or fit for purpose, we purchase recycled plastic containers whenever possible.
• Hopkins Dining works with a variety of partners to decrease our plastic footprint and investigate alternatives that would bring plastic-free innovation to the forefront of your dining experience.
• Hopkins Dining has a robust recycling program that will only become more efficient in the future as we explore new partnership opportunities. If we cannot stop all plastic from entering our facilities, we can recycle what we do bring in!

While we recognize that our plastic footprint isn’t perfect, we are committed to decreasing the amount of single-use plastics in our locations. As consumers, we must drive this shift and demand change at the industry level. At Hopkins Dining, we want to use our purchasing power for good and make your dining experience as plastic-free as possible. So next time you are in one of our locations, think before you toss and make sure your waste goes in the right place!