College program to divert 2 million food containers

Aug. 20 -- Aramark Higher Education expects to divert more than 2 million disposable food containers from landfills during the upcoming school year through a new program at college campuses.

The company, which provides services to more than 600 colleges and universities, is introducing a reusable "to-go" container at many of those sites.

"The re-usable ´to go´ container program is the next phase of our ongoing plan to strive toward zero waste and support the sustainability goals of our partner campuses," said Michael Leone, senior vice president, Aramark Higher Education.

The reusable containers are dishwasher safe and go through the same cleaning process as dinner ware, the company said.

The company tested the program at several campuses last year, including Baylor University in Texas where disposable container usage fell by 40%.

Contact Waste & Recycling News senior reporter Jim Johnson at 937-964-1289 or jpjohnson@crain.com

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