In the two years since the reusable takeout container program Eco2Go was reinstated following the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus, Oregon State University’s University Housing and Dining Services reports the program has seen similar pre-pandemic results.
Reinstated at the end of January 2023, the program is going well, according to Kerry Patterson, director of dining and operations for UHDS. Additionally, he said UHDS has not seen significant increases or decreases in usage of to-go meals and therefore Eco2Go usage, although they don’t explicitly collect data on to-go meals.
Patterson said current return rates for Eco2Go containers sit between 90% and 93%, which he said is much the same as it was right before the pandemic.
While return rate is high, sometimes used Eco2Go containers can stack up in dorm rooms.
“In those cases, we work with the residence hall staff to identify the room and talk to the occupants about returning the containers,” Patterson said in an email.
The Eco2Go program was officially launched in the fall of 2015. When a student ordered food to-go, the meal was automatically provided in an Eco2Go container. When finished, students returned the emptied containers at a designated drop-off site to be cleaned and used again.
“In 2015, we were really groundbreaking in doing this, basically all at once, campus wide and and really basically eliminating the disposable clamshell containers,” said Brandon Trelstad, sustainability officer for Oregon State University’s Sustainability Office. Trelstad is not affiliated with Eco2Go.
After the first year, UHDS determined a slight cost savings and an estimated more than 60 ton reduction in waste from their three dining halls, according to Chris Anderson, former general manager of Marketplace West.
Patterson said no significant operational changes were made to the program from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic.
However, in Eco2Go’s hiatus, UHDS “did get a sense of how interested and engaged the OSU community was with this program when we fielded many questions about when Eco2Go would return,” according to Patterson.
According to Patterson, UDHS has received no major feedback regarding the Eco2Go program but continues to evaluate it and work to improve container returns.
“I feel a lot of students just see it as part of being an OSU student and community member,” Patterson said.
