In conjunction with Student Government's Sustainability Committee, ADNH Compass will be introducing a reusable container system for those on campus getting take-out meals from the dining facilities. The initiative, which will prompt the ousting of styrofoam from campus, was voted into effect at a General Assembly on March 15. The change will be in effect the Sunday after spring break, March 29.

The initiative comes not only in the form of new dishware, but also as an entire program for students to buy into. For 35 AED, payable in Dining Dirhams, students have the option of purchasing a token that effectively symbolizes their membership in the system. Swapping in the token will get them a plastic container, which they can load with food for take-out.

Following the age-old rinse and repeat principle, students are asked to wash out their containers and bring them back to a cashier at The Marketplace or the East and West Dining Halls. They’ll then receive another token and be able to use the system again.

The new containers can fold flat to save space and come with a spork and sections for condiments.

Chair of the Sustainability Committee Ritu Muralidharan first thought of a reusable container program after she reached out to friends at US universities and learned about MIT’s Eco-Clamshell. Muralidharan believes the system will address a pressing need for the NYU Abu Dhabi community.

“If people are making use of the take-out option so frequently, it only makes sense to come up with a program that’s more sustainable,” said Muralidharan. “It’s definitely better than styrofoam, which all just goes into a landfill [and] is really, really horrible for the environment.”

After the idea was floated last semester, the Committee began working with ADNH to research possible products and sift through different local suppliers.

“It can be — particularly with the UAE, it seems — quite hard to find alternatives [to styrofoam],” said ADNH’s Marketing Manager for the NYUAD Project Nicholas Freeman, citing the high cost of biodegradable boxes.

Though Freeman believes that a reusable container is a better alternative to any single-use box, he said that students will also have the option of purchasing a biodegradable box instead of joining the new system. The new boxes will be 3 AED. Freeman added that the increase in price is due to cost and that NYUAD is not making a profit from the biodegradable boxes.

According to Freeman, the decision to remove styrofoam was based on community feedback.

“People just kind of hated [styrofoam],” he said. “We’d also rather order from fewer suppliers just from a logistics point of view, and generally, styrofoam’s less sustainable.”

Currently, the university goes through 3000 styrofoam boxes a week.

Muralidharan stressed that, as the program begins, some issues in implementation still need to be addressed.

“We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to deal with students losing their tokens,” said Muralidharan. “If we say that once you lose a token all you have to do is pay 2.5 dirhams [to replace it], we’re worried that people will just say they’ve lost their tokens … and then get into the program without actually having paid.”

As of now, it’s been decided that students will pay half the price, 17 AED, the first time they lose their token. Every subsequent replacement will then cost the original price of 35 AED. ADNH and the Committee are currently brainstorming ideas, however, on improving the system and lowering the cost.

Muralidharan also mentioned that there may be an adjustment period while ADNH assesses the demand for the boxes throughout its different locations. Some students may encounter fewer boxes in one dining location and an excess in another. The hope is that a balance will be struck as the program develops further.

According to Muralidharan, student response on Facebook and through word of mouth has been very positive.

Junior Diana Gluck sees the program as a welcome change.

“I think it’s great that the reusable containers are finally [an option] for students,” said Gluck. “Personally, sometimes I just try to eat there as opposed to creating the waste, so this is great that you don’t have to make that trade-off between convenience and sacrificing another styrofoam container.

The first 250 boxes will be subsidized by Student Government and cost only 10 AED. Though everyone in the NYUAD community is encouraged to buy into the program, only students will be eligible for subsidized prices. In addition to the program, ADNH is looking into serving the pre-packaged food at The Marketplace and Library Cafe in biodegradable boxes.