ECO Box program

Food Services works closely with the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability to prioritize waste reduction practices on campus and enhance diversion in our food outlets.

Launching Fall 2022 in The Cove Dining Facility, the ECO BOX Program is an opt-in reusable container program aimed at diverting landfill waste in our dining facility.

How the Program Works

1. Get Your ECO Card

Residence Students on Meal Plan: You will be given a free ECO Card on your first night dining at The Cove as you enter the dining facility.

Non-Residence Students, Staff, Faculty: To buy into the program, you can purchase an ECO Card for $5.00 at the ECO Exchange Station in the entrance lobby of The Cove or at a cashier station.

2. Order Your Food

When ordering your meal, you'll have the choice of taking your food away in:

ECO Box (eat-in or takeout)
To-stay plate/dish (eat-in only)
Disposable takeout container ($0.75 Eco fee)

Ask for your food in an ECO Box.

3. Hand over Your ECO Card

When paying for your meal at the cashier station you will hand over your card to the cashier and leave with your meal in your ECO Box.

4. Dine in or Takeout

You may eat your meal in the dining facility or take the ECO Box away to eat at your dorm, outside, etc.

5. Exchange Your Used Box for a Card

At any time you may drop off your used ECO Box at one of our ECO Exchange Stations or cashier station. These stations are cleary marked and located in The Cove Dining Facility. They may move around depending on the time of day or facility schedule.

A staff member will take your container and provide you with a new ECO Card for your next use.

The used ECO Boxes and ECO Cards will then be washed and sterilized for future use.

Common Questions

Does the program cost money to participate?

The program is free to join for all Residence Meal Plan students. Anyone else who dines at The Cove and would like to participate can buy into the program for the cost of the container which is $5.00.

To join, you can purchase an ECO Card for $5.00 at any cashier station within The Cove.

How do I join the program?

To opt into the program you can purchase an ECO Card for $5.00 at any cashier station within The Cove.

What if I lose my container or card?

This is an exchange program, so if at any time you lose your ECO Box or ECO Card, you can buy back into the program for a $5.00 fee that covers the cost of the card/container.

What do I do with my used ECO Box?

Once you've finished with your ECO Box you will want to exchange it for a new card.

You can drop off your used ECO Box at one of our ECO Exchange Stations or cashier station. These stations are cleary marked and located in The Cove Dining Facility. While they may move around depending on the time of day or facility schedule, there will always be a marked area to exchange your container.

Do I need to wash my ECO Box before I exchange it?

No, you do not need to wash your container before exchanging it.

All used containers will be washed and sterilized with our industrial strength equipment before being returned to the program for future use.

However, if you won't be returning your container right away or you're bringing it back to your dorm room, it would be lovely if you rinsed it out after use. This will support the longevity of the containers and keep them out of the landfill 😊

Is the program hygienic? What about germs?

All used ECO Boxes and ECO Cards are washed and sterilized upon their return so every time you receive a new card or container, you can be assured it is clean.