Kyle Anderson PO Box 08629

Flagstaff, AZ 86011 16 November 2007

Re: Replacing Wasteful Plastic Products Head of Campus Services Sodexho USA 9801 Washingtonian Blvd Gaithersburg, MD 20878 Attention Head of Campus Services: According to the 2005 Environmental Protection Agency’s Municipal Solid Waste Generation and Disposal in the United States Fact Sheet, plastic products are responsible for about 12 percent of all solid waste generated despite recycling efforts. Of this 12 percent, only about 6 percent was recovered through those recycling programs. It is apparent that recycling alone will not lessen the amount of plastic polluting our fragile environment. Plastic is one of the cheapest and most efficient materials with which to make disposable items. Unfortunately, petroleum, a non-renewable resource with ever growing demand, is required for the manufacturing of plastics. Soon, petroleum will be all but gone, and thousands of companies which rely on petroleum based products, such as gasoline, lubricants, and dining utensils, will be left to look for an affordable, environmentally friendly alternative made from potatoes and soy bean oil. Why wait until petroleum wells runs dry? Being a student at Northern Arizona University, one of your food service customers, I have observed excessive waste in the form of eating utensils and containers. This waste seems to go completely against the institution’s consistent efforts to maintain an environmentally sustainable campus. Parts of Sodexho have already made the switch to environmentally-friendly dining utensils. Daniel Kaupie, manager of dining halls at California State University Monterey Bay, says that the slightly higher cost of Spudware is overshadowed by knowing he is turning 5 tons of what used to be waste into compost every month. That’s 60 tons of waste every year from just one university converting to Spudware! Imagine how much waste would be turned into compost if every one of your clients, including Northern Arizona University, was to start replacing plastic with potato. Extra cost, again, is not drastic. Spudware only costs around 30% more than standard plastic utensils. The following exhibits the cost of plastic forks from three major plastic utensil manufacturers as well as the cost of Spudware including shipping costs to Flagstaff, AZ:

Company Price / Thousand Shipping Total Cost ULINE $51.5 $7.79 $59.29 ACE Mart $37.9 $12.03 $49.93 Staples $42.99 $7.95 $50.94 Spudware $70.00 $8.00 $78.00

Once again, according to one of your own employees, the extra cost of Spudware is well worth the environmental benefits. I strongly urge Sodexho USA to replace all disposable plastic utensils and dining containers at Northern Arizona University, as well as all locations where you provide food service. I would also like to be kept informed about the actions you plan to and do take regarding this issue. I hope Sodexho USA won’t leave Northern Arizona University and our environment disappointed. Sincerely, Kyle Anderson Concerned Student, Northern Arizona University Cc:: Liz Bohlke, Flagstaff District Manager, Sodexho USA Cc:: Head of NAU Dining Services