Single-use cutlery introduced in dining hall
3 min read
Single-use takeout boxes were cut in half for makeshift bowls, and paper plates were passed out with plastic utensils. | Grace Wagner, The Weekly Ringer
by MARTINA NICHOLSON
Senior Writer
Upon arrival into the dining hall at the beginning of the 2025 spring semester, students were greeted with a change in cutlery from reusable to single-use paper and plastic utensils. No official statement was made to the UMW’s student body before the start of the semester regarding the reason for this change.
According to UMW Dining General Manager Kyle Kouri, the switch to single-use cutlery was a result of the dish machine becoming temporarily unusable as they awaited a necessary part replacement.
Though students have been understanding about the temporary change, other aspects of using single-use materials alter the dining experience.
“Knowing that the dining hall is not using reusable materials for our meals especially while eating softer, warmer, or more liquid foods that we could be breaking down the paper materials,” said Riley Munford, a sophomore communication and digital studies and studio art double major.
Some students say the paper plates make the dining experience less enjoyable as the plates absorb the liquid contents of food served in the dining hall.
“With the materials they switched to, the flavors and contents of the food will often soak into the utensils, so I cannot just use a napkin to wipe off my plate,” Munford said.
Students have also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the change.
“The amount of food waste produced by the dining hall is no secret but adding disposable paper and plastic plates and utensils only makes matters worse,” said Shadwick Yoder, a senior political science and environmental sustainability double major.
As students continue to eat in the dining hall, the created waste has not gone unnoticed. Some students feel responsible for the amount of waste being produced and frustrated with the lack of alternatives being provided.
“I feel extra guilty for using more of these disposable materials for my meals and having to throw them away on my way out instead of the dishes that I know will get washed and reused,” said Munford.
Yoder shares similar feelings regarding a sense of guilt for the increased use of single-use cutlery.
“It is passing the guilt of the environmental impact onto students who have no control over the situation,” Yoder said.
The lack of communication has also contributed to student concerns about the institution’s lack of transparency regarding maintenance and construction.
“It just creates more discontent and frustration, and only adds to the feeling that UMW is never fully prepared for its students,” said Caty Taylor, a sophomore historic preservation and anthropology double major.
Because this change was not formally announced to the student body, several students feel apprehensive about the change.
Taylor continued, “I know though that it is out of their control, and things happen where it is inevitable that quick solutions are necessary, but it feels like a reminder that UMW’s infrastructure is in sore need of repair.”
This comes after Monroe Hall was closed last semester due to roofing renovations. The frustrations of unforeseen changes on campus have made some students feel like an afterthought as the timeline of when changes occur is often not shared with the student body.
“If the school was more upfront about when things go wrong, then it would be less of a problem, but finding it out secondhand or not at all is worse,” Taylor said.
