The Campus Store, Eagle’s Nest and Subway eliminated the use of plastic bags beginning August 19 in an effort to reduce waste. Each store will be selling reusable canvas bags for $1.
The Office of Sustainability chose to eliminate plastic bags because they are the waste most often found in the Chesapeake Watershed, according to Sustainability Outreach Specialist Joshua Kaplan.
Bon Appétit representative Jim Sawyer said the changes were made for environmental reasons, not financial, since plastic bags are inexpensive.
“The store stopped using plastic bags, but still offers recyclable bags, recycled school supplies, water bottles and recycled textbooks for students to buy,” Kristi Cole, the Campus Store manager, said. “Also, the store makes an effort to reuse boxes and use energy efficient light bulbs whenever they can.”
The Office of Sustainability and Auxiliary Services worked with Bon Appétit, who owns both Subway and Eagle’s Nest, to enact the new policy.
Former Student Government Sen. Rob Battaglia first proposed the idea in December 2011.
School of International Service senior Alex Lington said he is content with the stores’ new policy.
“I’m really happy with the new changes because they seem to be really consistent, especially with D.C.’s new bag tax,” he said.
However, Stephen Anderson, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business, said he was not as thrilled to see the bags removed.
“I find this annoying,” he said, “because when I buy a lot of things like textbooks from the campus store I’ll have to make several trips because there’s only so much I can carry.”
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