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SAW 2011: Recycling is a dish best served over and over again
Folio Staff
Sarah Zelman was raised to appreciate nature. She comes from a family who maintains respect for the environment and the natural world, and who work to minimize consumption and waste as much as possible, which she translated into work at Sustain SU, the student sustainability service formerly known as the Environmental Co-ordination Office of Students, or ECOS.
As project co-ordinator for Sustain SU’s Reusable Dish Program during the 2010–2011 academic year, Zelman volunteered her time to lend out plates in food courts across campus during lunch hours to help reduce the amount of Styrofoam and disposable dishware used at the U of A. Despite being a young program in the 2010-11 academic year, some 12,734 dinner plates were lent out and the program continues to grow in popularity. More than 100 groups and individuals rented dishes from Sustain SU last year, up from 60 the previous year.
“The thing that has been the most rewarding about the Reusable Dish Program is how much use increased last year,” said Zelman. “The Reuse-a-Dish program in the SUB cafeteria became much more popular, and our event rental program was continuously booked to capacity.”