By Ben Macintosh
UPEISU VP Finance Keesha Ryan shows off the Fox & Crow’s new reusable containers (photo credits: Ben Macintosh)
The Fox and Crow, UPEI’s campus pub, has a new sustainability program starting this week.
Launched by the UPEISU on Monday, the Choose to Reuse program features reusable to-go food containers, reusable coffee tumblers for sale, and a fee for single use items.
The reusable to-go food containers require a $2 deposit which will be returned to the customer when they return the container. All the reusable food containers are sanitized by the Fox and Crow staff before being used again.
The SU decided to only use a $2 deposit for the containers so that the program is affordable for students, VP Finance Keesha Ryan said in an interview with the Cadre on Tuesday.
“We wanted to make it as accessible to students as possible. So the $2 deposit is a relatively accessible fee for most students and then once they’re done using the program and don’t want to use it anymore they get that deposit back,†she said.
The reusable coffee tumblers are being sold at cost for $5 in the Fox and Crow.
“We’re selling those at costs, so we’re no incurring any costs from it, we just want to make it an accessible program for students,†Ryan said.
Students who purchase the tumbler can take advantage of the $1.50 coffee price when using a reusable mug at the Fox and Crow.
Through the program, the SU will also be implementing an eco-tax on single use items at the campus pub.
“Any coffee cups, utensils or takeout containers now have an extra 15 cent fee attached to all of those after purchase,†Ryan said.
Early on in the program, Ryan said feedback has been fairly positive so far with some students telling the SU they appreciate the 15 cent eco-tax.
“We want to see that students understand that this is a sustainability effort, that all this money we’re making off of these fees is going right back into sustainability efforts,†she said.
Ryan said the SU hopes the other food services on campus with take notice of the Choose to Reuse program and maybe implement something similar if this program is successful.