<p>Before my son replies to confirm his choice to purchase the Bama dining sustainability package he signed up for at BB, wondering if the wise people at CC have any comments on this program - good or bad.</p>
<p>Link for those who may have missed it at BB</p>
<p>[Bama</a> Dining Sustainability Package - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/sustainability_package.html]Bama”>http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/sustainability_package.html)</p>
<p>You can get a reusable to-go box and use a reusable mug at the dining halls without ordering the sustainability package, right?</p>
<p>Are students allowed to bring their own to go cup? Also, can they put a cookie or a fruit in a ziplock type bag and walk out of the cafeteria?</p>
<p>good: helps the environment. you get a t-shirt.
bad: you have to wash the to-go box and mug every time you use it. you also have to carry it around to/from dining halls.</p>
<p>Unless something has changed, personal to-go cups and Zip-lock bags aren’t allowed. They do have an option where you can get your meal to-go, with Styrofoam to-go boxes and waxy paper cups.</p>
<p>Does it cost extra to have your meal in a to go container/cup? Can you just choose to have the cup to go and not the meal?</p>
<p>i don’t know how much things will change this year since freshmen are now required to have the “All-Access” plan. from what i understand with this, it means you’re charged a solid rate for the whole semester, eat-in or to go, whether you eat 3 full meals (and snacks!) a day or just a sandwich every now and then.</p>
<p>for anyone not on that plan, (people with 160, 90, etc. swipes) each meal is a swipe, whether you get it to eat in or to-go - no additional cost. Each swipe used for to-go counts as one box and one cup, so if you only want a drink it still counts as a full swipe. Also if you decide to eat-in, you can’t get a to-go cup for the way out. The ladies at the counters are typically really strict about this rule.</p>
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<p>We were told at BB that you swap out the containers for a clean one on each cafeteria visit, which is completely different from what you are saying. </p>
<p>If I buy this and my son carries the cup around, would that mean he could take a drink with him using his unlimited freshman plan. I suppose he could also take a regular to-go cup, too. </p>
<p>It’s not so much the money I’m thinking about, just trying to figure out how it all works.</p>
<p>My son will be a freshmen with the unlimited plan and he does not eat a big breakfast. From prior threads, I was under the impression that they could carry out a bagel and a cup of milk or a yogurt to be used the following morning, if he wants to eat in his room. Since we have to purchase the unlimited plan, being able to carry out something small to be used as a snack or small breakfast would be nice.</p>
<p>Bama Dining washes the to go boxes, so students return their dirty boxes and get new ones at their next meal. Note that Bryant Dining Hall does not participate in the reusable to go boxes, if they even have to go boxes at all.</p>
<p>There is no extra charge for a to go box/cup.</p>
<p>One can get the reusable to go box for a $3.00 deposit and a reusable mug for $7-10.</p>
<p>I’d really like to see Bama Dining get rid of the Styrofoam boxes and non-recyclable plastic silverware and replace them with recyclable/compostable alternatives as is now required in many major cities*. Until last year, Bama Dining used Styrofoam plates and plastic forks for all late night meals instead of reusable plastic dishware and metal silverware, which is a good improvement.</p>
<p>I personally don’t see the appeal of the sustainability package, especially when most of it is discounted or given out for free later in the year. The reusable cups used to provide discounted drink refills, which if it is still the case, may be useful for non-freshmen.</p>
<p>*Recycling and composting is not very popular in Alabama. For example, the only way to recycle glass is to take it to Target and have them put it on a truck up to Birmingham/Nashville/Atlanta for recycling.</p>
<p>Very discouraging to hear about the lack of recycling. We just returned from a trip to coastal NC, where recycling is also very difficult (you have to drive your recyclables to a center yourself). Are there at least places to recycle cans and plastic beverage bottles in the dorms?</p>
<p>I didn’t realize you could purchase the containers outside of that package. Something else to think about.</p>
<p>Could someone address the freshman all access meal plan? What exactly defines one of the three “meals” that can be used each day?</p>
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<p>All access means they can swipe any number of times throughout the day - unlimited.</p>
<p>"Could someone address the freshman all access meal plan? What exactly defines one of the three “meals” that can be used each day?’</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Where are you seeing “three meals”??? The all access plan (I think) is for as many meals as you want…unlimited swipes.</p>