The Greenie Program reusable containers return to Slayter

GENEVIEVE PFISTER, Special to The Denisonian—The Greenies Program has returned thanks to a partnership between members of Bon Appetit, the Environmental Advocates, the Denison Dining Committee and Denison University staff.

Greenies are reusable, washable take-out containers that are available to students for free. Students can sign up for the program in any dining hall by providing their name and Denison ID Number.

When they sign up, each student receives a green carabiner, and can drop the carabiner into a jar and ask the chefs to serve their food in a greenie.
Food can only be placed in a greenie at Slayter Market, though that may change. Students can then take the greenie and eat their food anywhere on campus. When they are finished, they can dispose of any remaining food in a compost bin and return the greenie to cashiers in any dining hall in exchange for a new carabiner, and the process repeats. Huffman and Curtis Dining Halls have carabiners and can collect used greenies, but no greenies are available for use.

If a student loses their greenie or carabiner, they can opt back into the program with any dining cashier for $5.00. Due to COVID-19 concerns, personal food containers will not be accepted in place of a greenie.

In response to concerns about cleanliness and the transmission of COVID-19, facilitators of the program ensured that they “clean and sanitize all greenies between each use in an industrial dish washer to ensure cleanliness” and that “gloves and masks are always worn by employees.” The carabiners are also cleaned and sanitized after each use.

“I really do think it’s important that students opt into the Greenies Program,” says Zora Whitfield, the Chair of the Denison Dining Committee and one of the leading student coordinators behind the program.

“There’s just so much waste created by the dining halls . . . it’s really important that you take that extra ten seconds to consider using a greenie.”
Whitfield hopes the program will expand to Curtis and Huffman dining halls in coming semesters. For more information or questions about the program, please contact Zora Whitfield at [email protected].