If you stop by Claremont McKenna College for a meal, you’ll find two new additions to the dining experience: composting and Coke products.
Prior to this semester, diners at Collins were unable to sustainably sort their food waste while clearing their plates before stacking them onto a conveyor belt into the kitchen. Now, four bins sit in front of the belt: two for litter, two for compost.
Implementing front-of-house composting was a collaborative effort between Collins Dining and the EcoReps, a student group that promotes sustainable practices on campus, according to CMC’s Bon Appétit General Manager Shelby Welsh.
“Initial discussions with the EcoReps to implement front-of-house waste sorting began in the spring semester, prompted by our annual ‘weigh the waste’ event,” Welsh wrote in email correspondence with TSL. “Over the summer, we worked together on logistics and to find a way to have permanent collection bins fabricated and installed.”
While Collins has been composting back-of-house food waste for years, they were the last of the seven dining halls at the 5Cs to implement front-of-house composting.
“Each campus has unique dining layouts and operational needs,” Welsh wrote. “At CMC, we wanted to ensure that the infrastructure and signage for front-of-house waste sorting were in place so the program could succeed long-term.”
“Each campus has unique dining layouts and operational needs,” Welsh wrote. “At CMC, we wanted to ensure that the infrastructure and signage for front-of-house waste sorting were in place so the program could succeed long-term.”
Jathan Pai CM ’28 said it was “fantastic” that Collins was opening up their composting initiative to the community, but that there were some drawbacks to the new bins.
“The location of the composting bins narrows the Collins exit hallway, making it more chaotic and congested,” Pai said.
Welsh said feedback for composting has been positive so far, and that students have “expressed appreciation” for being able to participate in waste reduction efforts on campus.
He said there has been similar positive feedback about CMC’s transition from supplying Pepsi to Coca-Cola products.
In the Hub, signs announcing Coca-Cola as the “official campus-wide beverage partner” appeared at the start of the school year, and a banner appeared in Collins late last week advertising the same headline.
“Pepsi items will gradually cycle out and be replaced with a full line of Coca-Cola products,” the sign reads.
Welsh said CMC’s contract with Pepsi was up for renewal this year.
“Our engagement with both vendors exploring options began in the spring and spanned the summer months,” he wrote. “Rollout was accomplished near the start of the fall semester.”
CMC purchased Pepsi products at the start of the year to continue serving students without interruption. As these products are consumed, they will be replaced by the Coca-Cola inventory, which includes a “wider selection of beverages,” according to Welsh.
A Pepsi truck was spotted leaving CMC’s premises by a TSL reporter on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
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