CDS and community members reflect on Bojangles litter across campus

In the fall of 2022, when Bojangles replaced Wendy’s in the Student Union, UNC students were excited to see the classic Southern chicken and biscuit chain’s arrival on their campus. 

Carolina Dining Services said in a statement to The DTH that UNC dining options are reviewed regularly to ensure that they appeal to campus customers. 

“Bojangles is a student-requested brand, and the decision to bring Bojangles to our campus was supported and approved by the Student Dining Board and the Carolina Union Board of Directors,” CDS said in their statement.

However, the switch from the disposable paper bags of Wendy's to Bojangles’ rectangular boxes has reportedly caused trash cans to overflow and litter to increase across campus, potentially due to the bulkier packaging.

In its statement, CDS said that its team is attentive to the trash cans in the immediate area of the Union Bojangles but that the volume of waste can vary due to many factors such as weather, large events and holidays. They stated that if a guest notices an issue with waste collection, they should report it to a CDS team member.

Rising UNC sophomore Aiden Kistler wrote in a message to The DTH that the Bojangles boxes can be flattened by tearing off the corners and smoothing them out. To help prevent garbage overflow, he suggested some signage near the Union’s trash cans to encourage customers to do this.

“Although I doubt signs would ensure everyone flattens them, I don’t think a lot of people know you can simply rip the perforated corners to save on space,” he wrote.

When asked about the possibility of adding signage near Union trash cans to encourage customers to break down their boxes, CDS said that they would opt for a different approach.

“As a service provider, we prefer to increase waste collections rather than inconvenience a guest to break down boxes,” CDS stated.

There are many student organizations at UNC dedicated to waste reduction and endorsing overall sustainability. One of these is UNC Sunrise, the University’s chapter of the larger Sunrise Movement, a national organization advocating for political action to be taken against the climate crisis.

The UNC Sunrise chapter is a group of students that champion job creation through sustainability efforts, as well as endorse the Green New Deal, entailing proposals for economic policy action on climate change. 

A member of the movement, rising sophomore Victoria Plant, had also noticed the overflowing trash cans and wrote in a statement to The DTH that she found it disappointing. 

“I think if the boxes were easier to break down and if there were instructions to do so on the sides of boxes, it would be better, or even changing packaging to a bag or something reusable could help,” Plant wrote. “Maybe they could use the green reusable boxes, like in the dining hall.”

Plant wrote that she wondered if all the takeout restaurants at the bottom of Lenoir Dining Hall could employ a similar kind of reusable option.

In their statement, CDS wrote that they are committed to providing reusable to-go containers in Chase Dining Hall and in the top of Lenoir. Despite this, they stated that facility and infrastructure limitations prevent the use of reusable containers at retail dining options on campus, such as Bojangles.

Dylan Brown, a rising sophomore and frequent Bojangles customer, wrote in a message to The DTH that he enjoys the convenience of the restaurant’s packaging, as well as its location in the Union and great customer service.

“I don’t find the boxes inconvenient. In fact, they are nice and easy to carry around,” Brown wrote. 

Brown also noted, like Kistler and Plant, that customers can close the Bojangles boxes back up after eating and press them flat like any cardboard box. He said he thinks that most people don’t take the time to do this, and that’s why many trash cans are overflowing.

“I haven’t had much of an issue with throwing them away, but there have been times I’ve had to walk around to find another trash can because they are filled to the brim,” Brown said.

CDS said in their statement that the receptacles their department maintains within the Union have not seen an overflow problem.

The DTH was unable to obtain comment from UNC Grounds Services.

CDS said in their statement that their department works with many students and sustainability organizations year-round. They encourage anyone with any ideas to complete the contact form on their website. 

@reganxbutler

@dailytarheel | university@dailytarheel.com