Higher education and sustainability Bonn University canteen switches to reusable tableware
Bonn · The Mensa am Hofgarten Bonn is switching from disposable to reusable tableware when students want to take their food away. The dishes are provided by Relevo, a start-up based in Munich.
Four years ago, Logi-Cups were introduced at the university and in Bonn's refectories. Now the university and the Studierendenwerk Bonn are going one step further. Disposable dishes to take away and throw away are becoming reusable.
"We have all seen the mountains of rubbish that the last few years have brought. We had more sustainable disposable tableware in the refectory, but still disposable," explains Robert Anders, press officer of the Studierendenwerk Bonn. Students for Future and the Green Office also helped initiate the new reusable system, which is part of the new cafeteria concept. "We very much welcome the new system and think it's good that the university and the Studierendenwerk are taking this step," says Lene Remshagen from the Green Office at the University of Bonn.
Helena Flesch from Students for Future is also happy with the new reusable system. "We are working step by step to make the refectory more sustainable, this is a good start." Her colleague Karolina Draczyk echoes the sentiment: "I think it's good that sustainability is being shown to the refectory guests and is being taught, so to speak, by having the reusable system.“
Relevo's concept comes with an app. "At the food counter, you say that you want to take your food with you and you get a bowl or a box with separators," explains Lasse Kohl, a working student at Relevo. "The box has to be scanned, and in the app you can see which boxes you have borrowed," says Kohl.
Anders explains the idea: the reusable products do not come with a deposit, the system should be as cheap as possible and also involve as little effort as possible. "The students should have to invest as little as possible," he emphasises. At the checkout, canteen guests have to show the app and confirm that they have borrowed the box. There is a cleaning fee of 20 cents per box, which is added to the price of the meal. A stew then costs 1.20 Euro.
Hot inside, touchable outside
"I think it's really good that there is now a deposit system," says Julian Arnold, a student from Bonn. He is standing in the canteen with his bowl, ready to walk towards work. "I always get a soup or a stew at lunchtime. It used to be a lot of rubbish every day. I think it's good that they have a reusable system now," he nods with satisfaction. He holds the soup in a relaxed manner; the plastic of the boxes is not sensitive to heat and thus keeps the food warm. In addition, the boxes could be reused 1500 times, Kohl explains.
It is important that the students bring the products back, because otherwise there is no cycle, says Anders. It doesn't matter to which location the dishes are returned, because Relevo supplies about 1500 locations in Germany. Users have a total of 14 days to return the dishes.
Currently, the provisional Hofgartenmensa has no facilities of its own to wash the extra to-go dishes, so they are brought to the Campo-Mensa in Poppelsdorf. The canteen at Venusberg and also in Sankt Augustin wash the dishes themselves, says Anders.
Original text: Maike Velden
Translation: Mareike Graepel
