This month, Fairfield University rolled out a new promotion at the Dunkin’ locations on campus, offering reusable tumblers for $9.99 when purchased before Feb. 1. This new promotion provides an opportunity for the Fairfield community to engage with the university’s efforts to be environmentally conscious.
Students will be able to use the tumblers at each Dunkin’ location to fill them with up to 24oz of any drip coffee for $1.89, the price of a small coffee, compared to a 24oz XL coffee which costs $2.49. Dunkin’ customers will receive around 20% off each drink by buying a tumbler.
The initial purchase of a tumbler also includes any 24oz drip coffee.
First-year Claire Urban is an avid coffee drinker and was very excited about the prospect of the new reusable containers. “You get coffee for cheaper when you bring it,” said Urban. “It’s a big discount for coffee.”
According to the promotions posted around campus, students that buy the tumblers will also receive “surprise perks and freebies throughout the semester.”
This promotion provides a way for the university to encourage waste reduction on campus by eliminating the need for disposable coffee cups.
“It pays for itself and it saves the environment,” commented Jessica Cuntrera ‘22, who then took a sip from her newly-purchased tumbler.
The new tumblers are a conscious effort by the university to decrease the amount of waste produced by food services on campus. Fairfield’s Director of Food Services, Duane Gornicki, said that Fairfield University is making great strides to reduce waste on campus, including removing the receipts from Dunkin’ locations.
“We found the receipts all over campus stuck to the ground,” Gornicki said, “so we created a process where we eliminated the need for receipts. It’s better for the environment and now it’s a bit more personal– we call you by your name.”
According to Gornicki, Fairfield has always had a reusable cup program at the coffee shops on campus, but they weren’t as popular.
“We’ve always had a reusable cup-type program in Einstein’s, our old coffee shop,” Gornicki said. “We did not do such a good job at promoting it, but you could return your cup and we’d give you a discount off your purchase. It wasn’t widely used or advertised.”
Despite the lack of awareness at Einstein’s coffee shop before Dunkin’ came to campus, this tumbler promotion seems to be popular and worth the price.
A group of students sitting in the BCC all agreed that this promotion is an amazing opportunity for the campus community. “I just wish it came with a straw,” joked Jakob Matala ’22.
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