For many Rowan University students, eating at the Student Center is a part of everyday life. It’s a popular place for students to grab something to eat. However, the Student Center Dining Hall could reduce the amount of trash that gets thrown away.

College campuses across the nation are adding to the waste problem in America. It is estimated by Yale Hospitality and the National Resource Defense Council that college dining halls produce 22 million pounds of food waste per year. Rowan University has a very easy solution to this problem for one of their dining halls: make the take-out bags optional so they are only used when needed.

For example, many students who eat at the Student Center eat in the cafeteria and do not bring the food back to their dorms. They prefer to eat in the cafeteria at the Student Center. There is no reason for a paper bag to be given out when more often than not it will go right into the trash. I asked some students eating or waiting in the Student Center about how often they eat in the cafeteria.

“I’d say about 80% of the time I eat here [the Student Center],” said Sean Kozeniewski, a senior Physical Education major. 

“Once a day, I take my lunch back to my dorm to get some homework done,” said Chris Wilson, a freshman Biological Sciences major.

So a majority of the students I talked to ate their food in the student center. Then the question is, why is the take-out bag necessary for those who eat in the cafeteria? Many of the students I talked to believed that the bags are helpful, but it would be good to ask for them instead of getting the bags when they aren’t needed.

“I do think it’s useful for when I take it home, but I do like the idea of having to ask,” said Kozeniewski. 

“I think asking for a bag would be nice because I can hold a burger, but if I have to go back to my dorm then I could ask,” said Wilson.

There are also some students who don’t eat at the Student Center at all. 

“I don’t eat here, I bring it back to my dorm,” said Jake Jenkins, a senior exercise science major.

While Jenkins doesn’t eat in the cafeteria at the Student Center, he still believes the bags should be optional. 

“The paper bags, in my opinion, are useless,” said Jenkins. “If I’m going to order Sono, I get a burrito. And I can just stick it inside of my book bag.”

Sono, a restaurant at the Student Center, is not the only spot giving out bags. Different people have had different experiences. 

Luke Brown, a freshman sports cam major, believes that “The only place that doesn’t give a bag is Jersey Mikes. They just individually wrap the sub.” 

“Sono will give me a bag almost every time. I don’t think Grill Nation uses bags; they have the little cardboard boxes,” said Jenkins.

Other students claim to never get bags.

“I normally never get a paper bag,” said Brayden Peoples, a freshman Accounting major.

It seems as though certain places will give out bags, and others won’t. Compare this to the Glassworks Eatery, more commonly referred to as the Holly Pointe Commons dining hall. Holly Pointe is a grab-and-go, buffet-style that has no paper bags in sight. While the two dining halls are different styles, Holly Pointe also has reusable utensils. The Student Center does not. Many students eat at the Student Center because of its variety of choices, and the quality of the food. 

“This [the Student Center] is my preferred spot,” said Brown. 

The quality and variety of the Student Center give it a leg up on the dining hall at Holly Pointe, but by reducing waste, the Student Center could help the environment.

Instead of throwing away bags that are rarely used, the take-out bags should be made optional. And don’t take my word for it, take theirs too.

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