| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.34 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2022 |
University of Maryland, College Park
IN-32: Single-Use Plastic Ban
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Allison
Lilly Assistant Director, New Initiatives Dining Services |
Has the institution banned or eliminated the on-site sales and distribution of at least one type of single-use disposable plastic?:
A brief description of the single-use disposable plastics that have been banned or eliminated:
The University of Maryland discontinued the use of polystyrene cups and take-out containers in 2016. UMD Dining Serves (UMD-DS) had already replaced all styrofoam packaging in University dining halls with compostable packaging in 2009. In addition, by shifting to an Anytime Dining plan in 2016, University of Maryland Dining Services eliminated all single-use disposables from University dining halls including carryout containers, cups, lids, straws, utensils, bowls, and condiment packages (unless directed by public health officials to offer carryout due to the COVID-19 public health crisis). Beginning in Fall 2019, UMD-DS continued to pursue its “Ocean Friendly Campus” campaign by replacing and reducing non-recyclable, single-use plastic items. As part of this project, UMD Dining Services replaced plastic straws, plastic bags, plastic utensils, individual creamer-cups, and plastic stirrers with paper straws, paper bags, compostable utensils, bulk creamer, and wooden stirrers from University retail cafes and convenience stores. Additionally, despite the public health requirement to offer carryout for all meals served during the 2020-2021 academic year, UMD-DS avoided bringing plastic bags back to campus. Instead, Dining Services provided 14,588 students with reusable Terp bags to further reduce plastic bag usage on campus and in campus cafes and dining halls.
To ensure that compostable plastics are actually composted, UMD has created a campus-wide composting campaign. There are numerous compost bins throughout campus including in the Stamp Student Union Food Court, academic buildings, libraries, offices, and almost all bathrooms in campus buildings. Each of these compost bins is labeled with the items that may or may not be placed in the bin to ensure bins are not contaminated with non-compostable items. These bins are lined with identifiable green compostable bags and properly disposed of by Facilities Management. The collected compostable waste is delivered to the Prince George’s Composting Facility.
Website URL where information about the single-use disposable plastic ban(s) is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.