Moore College of Art and Design

Gone Green: Moore's Dining Cafe Goes Paperless

March 11, 2010
This week, Moore became even more eco-friendly when it replaced most of its paper products in the student dining hall with plates made from tempered glass, reusable plastic cups and silverware. The glassware is more environmentally friendly than chinaware because it is more durable and can be recycled if damaged or flawed in the production process.

“We are very excited to be making this change for the good of our environment,” said Anthony Condo, SAGE Dining Food Service Director. “Reducing our use of paper goods will not only help save the environment, but also help us save money, allowing us to improve the student dining experience.”

A limited amount of paper products will still be on hand in the dining hall for students to take their meals “to go,” Condo said. Posters announcing the changes have been posted in the dining hall.

The move to using recyclable materials in the cafeteria came about in part from an Environmental Task Force at the College comprised of students, staff and faculty. The Task Force is charged with helping to raise awareness of and promote responsible eco-friendly practices at the College through educational programs and sustainable building initiatives.

Emma Moore, a senior art education major, said she appreciates the College’s initiative to help protect the environment.

“I can’t help but think of all the paper plates and dishes I’ve thrown out over the years,” she said. “This is a good idea. They’ve made a lot of positive changes in the cafeteria.”

Since 2007, Moore has implemented other eco-friendly measures, including:

- A student run art supply swap
- Use of compact fluorescent bulbs in place of incandescent campus wide
- Installation of new energy efficient windows in Stahl Hall and Sarah Peter Hall
- Campus wide recycling program for paper, bottles and cans
- Systematic, required training for all new students and faculty on use of and disposal of art and design materials.

Coverage in the City Paper: The Cafe at Moore College of Art & Design gets Eco-friendlier

Coverage on Green Philly Blog: Eating Green at School: Moore's Dining Cafe Eco-Strides.

Contact:
Michele Cohen
Assistant Director of Communications
Moore College of Art & Design
mcohen@moore.edu