UBC Undergraduate Research

An investigation into a Bring Your Own Container food outlet for the new SUB He, Rocky; Xu, Ziran; Yeung, Rex

Abstract

In 2010, the Alma Mater Society (AMS) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) made the decision to construct a new Student Union Building (SUB). The AMS is considering operating one of the eleven food outlets as a Bring Your Own Container (BYOC) outlet, as part of the AMS Lighter Footprint Strategy. This report compares the difference between a BYOC food outlet and a traditional disposable container food outlet. The BYOC outlet will serve customers only if they provide their own container. For this investigation, some important factors that can impact the success of the food outlet are disregarded. These factors include: the location and types of food available. As a triple bottom line analysis of the BYOC concept, the report involves conducting environmental, social and economic evaluations of the concept. The analysis uses sources including previous reports on the AMS Food and Beverage Department and UBC Food Services, existing food sustainability strategies at UBC, and data collection through interviews and surveys. Overall, it is recommended that the AMS implement the BYOC project in the New SUB. The BYOC concept requires a low initial cost and assists in promoting a sustainable lifestyle within UBC. However, there are some drawbacks that will affect the business’s profitability. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada