Century Tower chimes a familiar tune signaling noon. So do the rumbles produced by Lylia Jiang’s empty stomach.
It’s Thursday, which means Krishna Lunch is serving lentils with Thai curry. Jiang, a 20-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology junior, said it’s her favorite Krishna meal of the week. She meets with fellow members of Wahines of the Waves, a UF girls water sports club, for a quick picnic.
However, when they go to throw out their plates and cups, they won’t contribute to landfill waste. All of the materials – plates, forks, napkins and cups – are 100 percent compostable.
“It’s definitely spreading a really good message,” Jiang said. “The fact that they are very conscious about things like that makes people more attracted to coming to Krishna.”
This semester, Krishna began using BPI-certified plastic Greenware cups, which are made from plants and decompose in the sun because the previously used paper compostable cups have been out of stock since the summer, said Nanda Dasi, Krishna lunch manager.
Anywhere from 900 to 1,300 students come to the Plaza of the Americas every weekday around noon for a $5 vegan or vegetarian meal, Dasi said. An average of 15 UF-provided compost trash bags are filled after a Krishna lunch session.
Another change to Krishna materials came last Spring –– new areca palm leaf plates imported from India that are sturdier than the previous plates, which often got soggy and caved in, Dasi said.
“We feel like what we practice is universally beneficial, so we don’t want to just keep it to ourselves,” Dasi said.
Krishna Lunch is served using all compostable materials, including cups, plates, forks and napkins. It will serve tea in plastic compost able cups until its usual paper cups are back in stock.
