Ways to have a More Sustainable Wisconsin Union Experience
By Maddie Boulanger
You can make a difference for our planet during your visits to our buildings, called Memorial Union and Union South, and our markets and cafes.
We, at the Wisconsin Union, promise to do our part to think green, act green and challenge ourselves to incorporate new green practices into what we do. Some examples of how we aim to lessen our environmental footprint include composting food scraps in our kitchens, using compostable to-go boxes instead of Styrofoam, and providing bio-plastic and stainless steel cutlery instead of plastic silverware. (Want to learn more about our sustainability efforts? Click here.)
We hope you will join us in this commitment and help make each Wisconsin Union experience for a lifetime as sustainable as possible. Here are four ways that you can help preserve our planet for future generations while enjoying a Wisconsin Union experience:
BYOU – Bring Your Own Utensils
Instead of throwing away plastic silverware, bring your own! You can purchase a set of Wisconsin Union bamboo cutlery from our markets or cafes and take your reusable silverware wherever you go. Bonus: In our experience, bringing your own reusable cutlery is a great conversation starter with friends about sustainability and how they can incorporates green practices into their lives.
Sort your Trash
We have separate waste bins for recycling and trash, but entire batches of waste can be contaminated if items go into incorrect bins. Check out these helpful infographics on our website to learn more about how to discard your coffee cups and food waste. We also provide composting bins in various locations. New to composting, or need a refresher? Check out this helpful how-to.
Skip the Straw
If you can, why not skip the straw? It’s one less single-use, plastic item to potentially end up in a landfill. Committed to that straw life but don’t have a reusable one yet? You can purchase a steel straw at Peet’s Coffee and the Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South.
For more information on the Union’s sustainability efforts, please visit https://union.wisc.edu/dine/sustainability/.
