Trinity is one step closer to becoming a plastic-free campus, after replacing plastic straws with compostable paper straws in the Buttery and the Pav.
The move, which was announced on by the College Twitter today, comes two months after a survey was undertaken to decide how Trinity should go plastic free. Students and staff who participated in the survey voted to scrap plastic cups from the Buttery as the first move in the College’s effort to reduce plastic usage on campus.
Survey participants were given three choices of what Trinity should prioritise: replace disposable glasses with reusable ones in the Buttery, abolish all plastic cutlery from the Buttery or introduce paper straws in the Pav.
As a result of the survey, which saw 400 staff members and students participate, it was decided that all three options would be tackled.
A student-led group, TCD Plastic Solutions, was set up last year and has lobbied heavily for the College to move away from selling and using unnecessary single-use plastics.
Trinity is following the lead of many universities worldwide that have gotten rid of plastics on their campuses.
Provost Patrick Prendergast has, during his tenure, proved himself remarkably open to lobbying on environmental issues. Fossil Free TCD successfully pushed Trinity to divest from €6.1 million in fossil fuels,
