By Rylee Baker
According to Environment America, the U.S. produces enough trash every 15.5 hoursto fill up the largest NFL stadium. A single citizen is averaging the creation of 4.9 pounds of trash daily. Despite only making up 4 percent of the population, the US creates 12 percent of the world’s trash despite being only 4% of the population. As all these statistics continue to grow as time goes on, it’s clear that America has a serious trash problem. Susquehanna has begun doing its part in an attempt to combat the issue with its new O2GO program.
In the past, students at Susquehanna would receive a Styrofoam container and a paper soup container. Although paper is recyclable, the go-to soup cups were lined with a thin wax, making them non-compostable. Styrofoam is terrible for the environment and causes a major disturbance. Colgate University published an article saying that Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and could take up to 500 years to decompose, and currently takes up 30 percent of U.S. landfills.
After a previous attempt to launch pre-COVID-19, Susquehanna has recently returned its O2GO program. Greg Severyn, the Director of Sustainability, said the goal of the program is to reduce single-use waste like plastic ware and waxed lined cups. Severyn explained that he had spent all last year researching companies that produced sustainable containers when he found Ozzi, a company that mass-produces sustainable takeaway products. This includes a variety of food containers along with drinking cups. According to the official website for Ozzi, “Our mission at OZZI has always been to create an environmentally conscious, user-friendly, and 100 percent effective system that eliminates disposable products generated from food service operations.”
So, what makes Ozzi containers different from any other plastic? Ozzi uses no. five plastic which is a strong and recyclable plastic making Ozzi products both microwave and freezer safe, as well as being BPA free. In other words, it’s much better for the environment and durable than the Styrofoam containers Susquehanna previously used.
To obtain a container, students must pay $5 where they will receive a container that they can bring back in exchange for a bamboo card. These cards are the size of any credit card and can fit in any pocket or wallet.
Despite all the benefits that the O2GO program has on the environment, some students are confused and weary of participating, especially because of the cost. “I don’t think students should have to pay for it,” said senior Colleen Hueting. Another student, Kayman Heater, agreed, saying, “I would use it if it were free.” Severyn said that the money was not to make a profit but simply to break even on the expenses of the containers and bamboo cards. Severyn said, “The goal is that students won’t have to pay in upcoming years.”
Other universities that have implemented the O2GO program have seen drastic results in the overall decrease in waste. According to OZZI, its partner Northwestern University was able to save over 3,000 pounds of food waste in only ten weeks. Another partnering university, University of Wisconsin-Madison, was able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has saved 25 times the amount of water that was being wasted previously.
Regardless of the inconveniences, the O2GO program is a small but essential step toward making Susquehanna more environmentally friendly and helping our world.
