Bettina Allen – brought her own bowl and won!

Last week the Sustainability Office asked people to bring their own bowl and spoon to RRC’s Chili Cup. We did this to encourage participation in a waste-free event. To add an extra incentive, participants who brought their own bowl and spoon were entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Prairie Lights.

Most people liked the idea of “bringing their own” and rose to meet that challenge.  I saw a variety of creative “bowl” ideas – everything from coffee cups, Tupperware containers, candy dishes – whatever they could find! This was the case with our draw winner, Bettina Allen from our Library.

All in all 42 of the 97 Chili Cup participants brought their own bowl – that’s nearly half of all attendees. While keeping 42 disposable bowls and spoons out of the landfill may seem insignificant, it points to the power of collective action. Small things really do add up!

Over the next year the Sustainability Office will roll out other programs to reduce waste from College events and day-to-day operations, including developing a green catering program and piloting a reusable take-out container program. These actions are part of our one year workplan – Sustainability 365. In the meantime, I encourage you to continue to “bring your own” to campus events.  Keep up the good work…