Tupperware a good idea but not a replacement for paper

By Rice Editorial Staff     11/18/13 6:00pm

Despite the divisive nature of the paper products debate, we commend Housing and Dining on its efforts to adapt to students' mealtime habits using a sustainable takeout container system (see story, p. 1). While Rice students love their paper plates, the addition of tupperware could help reduce the amount and cost of paper products used over the year, thus redirecting more funds to food quality.

H&D's new initiative would allow students to use $5 in tetra points for tupperware and would refund those points once the tupperware is returned. We encourage people to use this potential program, but would also like to recognize that acquiring and returning the containers may be inconvenient for students in a hurry.

We would like to suggest a middle ground in the debate: provide tupperware for students who want to take food to-go or need to eat after meal times, but keep a reduced number of paper plates for those in a rush or who cannot bring back the tupperware in time to be washed. This will allow those environmentally conscious students to reduce paper plate usage, and encourage other students to begin using tupperware as well. Students who are concerned about the responsibilities of using the tupperware can still use paper plates, but hopefully less frequently. 

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Once a culture and efficient system is developed for the distribution and return of tupperware, paper plates may eventually fade out of use. No new system functions perfectly, and students would be more frustrated with the system if paper plates are taken away altogether and they must waste time waiting for tupperware. Rice students are predisposed to hold new things in suspicion, so H&D should try to find middle ground to ease the transition. 

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the

piece's author.

Errata

The story in the Nov. 13 issue entitled "Martel College forms committee to consider crest change" should have said that Martel was considering forming a committee to measure student interest in changing the college crest. Martel Parliament has since decided to form this committee.

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