Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.44
Liaison Andrea Trimble
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of Virginia
IN-32: Single-Use Plastic Ban

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Lela Garner
Sustainability Coordinator
Office for Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution banned or eliminated the on-site sales and distribution of at least one type of single-use disposable plastic?:
Yes

A brief description of the single-use disposable plastics that have been banned or eliminated:
While there is no formal policy in place, the UVA Dine team has successfully eliminated the sales and distribution of Styrofoam throughout dining halls and contracted vendors across Grounds. UVA Dine also provides 100% compostable to-go products in all 3 dining halls.

UVA Dine composts all back-of-house food waste. The UVA Dine team also provides front-of-house compost bins to capture any food waste and compostable materials. The bins have clear and transparent signage to help make waste sorting as easy as possible for students. In spring 2021, UVA Dine partnered with UVA Sustainability to set-up zero waste stations (with composting) at highly trafficked, outdoor dining locations. The stations include prominent signage and are monitored daily but student volunteers.

Speaking more generally about single-use plastics, the Office for Sustainability is working closely with a group of students to draft policies focusing on the elimination or reduction of straws, water bottles, and plastic bags across Grounds. The project was halted due to COVID-19 but will be picked-up as soon as possible.

Optional Fields

Website URL where information about the single-use disposable plastic ban(s) is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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