As takeout containers pile up across college campuses, universities are struggling to balance sustainability goals with a growing culture of convenience.
“It’s all a nightmare,” said Carla Iansiti, the Student Life and Engagement sustainability officer at Michigan State University. “The ever-growing retail and food pickup combinations — the Sparty’s, the Starbucks on campus, the Grubhub — that’s a culture shift.”
Students turned to takeout dining during the COVID-19 pandemic because dining halls closed or limited indoor seating, but many students kept those habits after restrictions ended, Iansiti said…