College dining program brings back reusables after COVID

The dining team at the University of Pittsburgh has reintroduced reusable takeout containers in its all-you-care-to-eat dining halls after ceasing their use due to safety concerns during COVID-19.

Over 500 students signed up to participate in the reusable containers program this spring, and 10% of meals at the university’s The Perch and The Eatery dining halls are now being served in these containers, according to Chartwells Higher Ed, which oversees Pitt Eats. 

“We took a step back to see where we could make the greatest impact cutting our use of paper products and saw it was in the all-you-care-to-eat residential dining facilities,” Lisia Spellman, sustainability director for Pitt Eats, said in a statement.

Diners at the university, where eateries remain to-go only, went through 1 million single-use takeout containers last fall.

University of Pittsburgh aims to serve half of its to-go meals in reusable vessels by 2025.