A REPORT gathered by the Ateneo Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AMPC) and Blue and Gold said that for the first semester, Styrofoam sales in the caf have decreased by 20%.
Data for the report were gathered starting August 8, the first day of implementation of the use of reusables in the caf and the Bring Your Own Baunan (BYOB) policy. Data were gathered until the first week of September, said Abigail Favis, an Enviromental Science lecturer and part of the Ateneo Environmental Management Coalition (AEMC).
Favis said that though it might be too soon to tell if the report spoke for the community’s attitude towards the new caf policies, “the 50% (approximate) reduction in trash volume is very encouraging.”
The report also indicated that from the 22 to 25 trash bags generated in the AMPC, the number decreased to 12 to 15 bags per day.
Blue and Gold, meanwhile, reported that it collected 15 trash bags a day from the usual 29.
Is it working?
The report also showed the number of people who practiced the BYOB policy during its trial period for the first semester. In Manang’s, 20 people a day, mostly staff and personnel, brought their own meal boxes during the data gathering period.
Blue and Gold reported a higher number with 29.5 people per day, 35% of which are staff and personnel.
52.75 people per day supported the BYOB policy in the AMPC and its subconcessionaires. No data was available on who commonly availed of the BYOB policy in the AMPC.
The report also noted that “most of the students still request for take-out containers yet eat inside the cafeteria.”
Romando Varona, an AMPC personnel, said that few people brought lunch boxes in the AMPC during the BYOB trial period. “Parang marami pa ring makulit (It seems like many are still stubborn [in bringing their own meal boxes]),” he said.
A significant number of students practice the Clean as You Go (CLAYGO) policy, and most students already segregate, according to the report.
Getting there
SOSE Central Board Representative Monse Onglao (III BSM AMF) said that the trial period was a success, since its purpose was only to “get a feel” of the new policies. “We were not expecting 100% participation, wherein everyone will bring their own meal boxes. But at least, the idea of this kind of lifestyle was introduced,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Favis said, “Lifestyle change is always difficult, but the data from the caf trash reduction shows that the support of the LS [Loyola Schools] community is there.”
“We are excited to see better results in the second semester,” she said.
In a statement regarding the caf report, Vice President Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng said that she is aware that the new policies “involve some inconvenience and a change in lifestyle.”
She added, however, that “every little bit adds up to a bigger change for the environment.”
Working model
Currently, the new caf policies are being fully implemented, with slightly different policies for the JGSOM Student Enterprise Center (JSEC). Since the JSEC is an open area, where reusables may be easily stolen, it will use basket trays, Styrofoam bowls for soups, and plastic cups and utensils.
Onglao said that this is a short-term solution, until details on the full implementation of the new caf policies on JSEC are ironed out.
(For student views on the full implementation on the new caf policies, see this month’s Atenean Voice.)
