• Dishes for Earth allows McMaster students and staff on campus to reduce waste while eating!

• Instead of using take-out containers offered at most on campus eateries they can take re-usable dishes/cutlery anywhere on campus and then deposit them into specified bins which are located throughout the campus.

• Bins are then collected and dishes/cutlery washed and ready for re-use.

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If civilization has risen from the Stone Age, it can rise again from the Wastepaper Age 1

• Taking care of the environment is extraordinarily important. • Dishes for Earth is an innovative program which strives to decrease

waste so the McMaster community can do their part to protect the environment.

• The program works on the honor system- students, faculty and staff are trusted to return dishes/cutlery taken from the eateries to the correct bins.

• It is in collaboration with MacGreen (McMaster’s Environmental Club) • Bins with clear labels will be conveniently located throughout

campus.• Volunteers from MacGreen as well as from Dishes for Earth will work

in shifts to return dishes/cutlery to the appropriate eatery for cleaning and re-stocking.

• To ensure dishes/cutlery are being returned properly there will be a bi-weekly check of eateries inventory.

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4

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• Volunteers:– The program will be run by dedicated

volunteers– Applications for volunteers will be

provided during clubfest, at the MacGreen office, or by contacting Dishes for Earth

• Bi-weekly inventory check– Depending on demand, bins will be

cleared a minimum of once a day – Inventory of dishes/cutlery will be taken at

the beginning of each semester – Volunteers will check the approximate

inventory every other week for theft prevention and to ensure the program is successful

• Bin Locations– All Residence Common Rooms– Outside each eatery– Main lobby of each academic building– Other locations as needed

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LEGEND

Total

Non-Residential

Residential

0 5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

30,000,000

2006

2004

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Waste Disposal in Canada, 2004, 2006

The Problem: Styrofoam and other take-out containers from McMaster eateries are a popular and inexpensive options for students, faculty and staff. However they are not recyclable and create a significant amount of unnecessary waste and litter.

Dishes for Earth Solution: By allowing dishes/cutlery from all eateries to be taken out, McMaster will reduce the cost of using disposable containers, and more importantly reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste created by the McMaster community.

68%

18%

14%

Good IdeaBad IdeaIndifferent

Quote:1. http://www.quotegarden.com/environment.html ~Jacques

Barzun, The House of Intellect, 1959Images:2. http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/__shared/assets/

McMasterCampusPhoto7874.jpg3. http://www.msu.mcmaster.ca/macgreen/IM000379.JPG3. http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/bala/mcmaster.jpg4. http://buzzville.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/dishes.jp

g5. http://www.aggregatepros.com/images/Waste-hierarchy.png6. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/

Waste_hierarchy.svg/550px-Waste_hierarchy.svg.png7. http://foodonthebrain.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/dirty-

dishes.jpgStatistics From: http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/envir25a.htmTitle Fonts:http://www.cool-fonts.com/Backgroundhttp://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5938771/2/

istockphoto_5938771-ornamental-detail.jpg

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