It’s called the “23-pound mug.” But every day, thousands of Harvard University students dash around the campus sipping coffee, tea and soy lattes from it. 
So, what’s the gimmick?
This re-usable plastic mug is the latest gear-shift in Harvard’s drive to become a greener, more sustainable campus. The 23 pounds represents the pounds of paper waste that is saved in one year by one person using the mug instead of paper coffee cups, one cup each day, Monday through Friday.
Twenty-three pounds of garbage saved just by switching to a re-usable mug!
I was doubly horrified when I considered that I could be saving 46 pounds of landfill trash because I ask for a double-cup at Starbucks, etc. (I can’t always count on my surgically-repaired thumb to hold on to flimsy paper cups. However, I do re-use the clean cups at home.)
The attention-getting 23-pound mug is just one of the strategies developed by Harvard this past year to promote an environment-friendly lifestyle on campus and throughout the community. (Universities across the country are now making an eco-friendly environment their top priority.)
Last week I attended the annual meeting of an Advisory Council that reports directly to Harvard University Dining Services. The Council – a group of chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, journalists, parents and dining service directors from other U.S. universities – toured the school’s dining facilities and retail outlets, sampled all the food offered in various sites, interviewed students, faculty and staff members and prepared a report that combined praise for a job well done with recommendations for future improvements.
I came away with plenty of food for thought.
#1. Plastic water bottles remain one of the biggest pollutants of the earth. At Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, student organizers (of seminars, parties, etc.) are not allowed to spend school funds on plastic bottles of water. At Sebastian’s Café in the Harvard School of Public Health, plans are underway to phase out bottled water completely, providing taps of filtered water for students to fill cups and re-usable bottles. Paul Riccardi, Dean for Administration and Operations for the school admits that bottled water is a “big money maker” for the café. “But we can’t talk out of both sides of our mouth,” he adds. “We say we’re all about public health…then we’ve got to deal with plastic bottles of water which are one of the biggest pollutants.” The café is also testing a machine that dispenses sparkling water, both plain and flavored, which will take bottled sparkling water out of the deli cases as well.
(With these initiatives, the school is following the lead of such cities as San Francisco, Santa Barbara and L.A. which have cut off the flow of city money to buy bottled water. Others, including Chicago and Salt Lake City are considering a similar course of action.)
Now, we all know that re-usable bottles such as Nalgene have their detractors. Recent studies have warned that some polycarbonate plastics may leach Bispherol A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical.
The National Geographic’s “Green Guide” recommends using safer alternatives such as bottles made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or, better yet, stainless steel bottles that are lightweight, durable and chemical free. (The Nalgene company’s Web site says it is phasing out production of polycarbonate containers that include BPA.)
No one said it was an easy issue. But, clearly, it’s time for all of us to come up with some personally acceptable alternative to one-use plastic bottles.
2. Substituting compostable plates, utensils and to-go “shells” for regular paper and plastic is NOT a long-term solution. (Harvard joins several other universities in the area in composting food and other waste and delivering it to farms outside the city for use in the fields.) For starters, the flimsy compostable forks and knives are ineffective against even a tender piece of chicken. Moreover, most compostable items cost 10-12 percent more than regular paper/plastic products (a cost that is passed along to the student/diner); and few homes/restaurants are equipped to maintain a compost heap. Most importantly, at the end of the day you’re still faced with Mount Trashmore…just one that decomposes somewhat faster than the traditional one.
3. Throw-away latex gloves are said to take 200 years or more to degrade in a landfill. I’ve seen a sandwich maker go through two or three pair just to turn out one crummy little chicken club six-incher. There’s got to be a better way.
4. Other steps being taken by Harvard to “green” up their act include:
* Using digital displays at cafeteria entrances to communicate information rather than using paper “flyers” and table signage.
* Buying meats, produce and dairy products from local producers. (The university is in its third year of sponsoring a weekly Farmers Market, for students and Cambridge residents alike, next to the famed Harvard Yard.)
* Using student volunteers and videos at trash stations to encourage efficient re-cycling.
You don't need a college degree to get the message: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Rethink.
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