Can Burwell keep us healthy while also being sustainable during the coronavirus?

Since returning to campus, it is hard not to notice the changes being made to Burwell, both on the inside and outside of the building. Eating in Burwell is an important activity to much of the Wofford community, and while many students are looking forward to the renovations being completed and to having an updated, two story dining facility, many students are also upset with the switch to styrofoam and plastic plates, cups and utensils.  

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, dining facilities like Burwell have had to focus their efforts on the health and safety of their staff as well as their guests. Resident Director of Culinary Services, Cherie Tyger, said “we want to make sure we are being as safe as possible and protecting everyone involved as best we can.”  

She also said that “the safest way for us to do so was to eliminate the use of china in order to stop the potential spread of the virus by one of our team members having to handle used plates and utensils.”  

The AVI staff’s efforts to reduce the spread of disease also means that Wofford has had to eliminate the use of reusable flatware and utensils, which raises the question: how do we stay safe during a global pandemic while also being sustainable? 

Tyger says that “we had to carefully weigh all factors when deciding to transition over to disposables,” including the environmental impacts of the material.  

“Unfortunately due to the high volume of disposables that we would need the projected costs were nearly triple. It unfortunately wasn’t a feasible option due to (this) factor,” Tyger explains.  

The coronavirus has also impacted the compost in Burwell as students now throw away their disposable plates, rather than sending them on the conveyor belt, where the remaining food waste was composted. Tyger says that the Burwell staff “ are still continuing to compost behind the scenes with kitchen scraps and other suitable waste.”  

She says that “We are hoping that things are able to go back to normal soon and that we will be able to continue to expand the sustainable efforts at Wofford.” 

Mia Kilpatrick, Campus Union At-Large Delegate and Facility and Sustainability Committee Chair, said that she has been thinking about potential alternatives to plastic and styrofoam products in Wofford’s dining facilities. She saidthat she is “definitely interested in having a more sustainable option than styrofoam.”  

She mentioned different products that her committee is going to look into, including a biodegradable material similar to egg cartons. One of the concerns she has in proposing an environmentally friendly material is that she wants “to make sure it is price competitive” as well as sustainable. 

While the use of styrofoam and plastic in Burwell has made some students upset, the Wofford community is very excited about the new features that Burwell will have once the renovations are finished in the fall of 2021. Tyger says that the current plan for Burwell’s lower level includes a wood fired pizza oven, a dessert station, and a “clarity station… that provides students with allergies an allergen free option.”  

The upstairs level will have a “new smoke and fire station with a southern BBQ flair.”  

Another addition will be a “Burwell Express station” for those who prefer their food on the go.