The eco-friendly containers cost $5 upfront, but the pub will discount each meal packed in them by 25 cents, helping users quickly recoup the cost. Plastic take-away soup containers are available as well.
If you phone ahead to Magee's to place your order, simply tell the staff that you'll be using an eco-container, then bring your previous container in for a swap.
You don't even have to wash it—Dining Services will take care of everything.
Bowdoin Dining Services initiated the program, and the Office of Sustainability helped with initial research and advertising.
Bowdoin's ongoing commitments to sustainable dining practices also include local purchasing, reducing waste, zero-sort recycling, and more.
Refresh your recycling know-how with the tips below.
What goes into Bowdoin's Zero-Sort bins?
- ALL PAPER (staples/paperclips OK): newspapers, magazines, envelopes (all types), colored paper, folders, notebooks, brown paper bags
- CARDBOARD: shoe boxes, pizza boxes (remove food, grease OK), milk/juice cartons
- PLASTICS: all containers #1 - #7 which includes:
- Water/juice bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, empty salad/yogurt containers
- GLASS: any color bottles, jars
- METAL: beverage cans, ALL aluminum (foil, trays), empty aerosol cans
How can I find out if my other plastics are recyclable?
- Plastics #1-#7 are recyclable in the Zero-Sort. On the bottom of the container, look for a triangular symbol that with three chasing arrows around it and a number inside.
- Unfortunately, if there is no number then it cannot be recycled in Zero-Sort.
How much Zero-Sort material does Bowdoin recycle annually?
In fiscal year 2015, Bowdoin recycled 417 metric tons of Zero-Sort material. That doesn’t include all the bottles and cans that were redeemed for recycling by the campus community, as well as techno trash, metal, and other recyclable materials that are not part of the Zero-Sort program. This number also does not include the food waste that is composted from both of the dining halls as well as from all of the College Houses.
