To join the program, visit a cashier at The Campus Chat Food Court and pay the one-time membership fee of $5. When you return your container to the Green Choice Return Station, it will provide you with a special membership token that you will give to the cashier as proof or membership the next time you request food in a Green Choice container. Please note that membership fees are non-refundable. Tokens and containers have no refundable cash value. 

Green Choice containers are available at select restaurants inside The Campus Chat Food Court, located on Level 2 of the University Union. Currently Flattop Grill, Sauté and Union Circle Fresh Salads & Sandwiches offer Green Choice.  

Anyone can join! Upon returning your container after its first use, you’ll receive a special token from the Green Choice Return Station. You’ll need to hang onto the token to exchange for a container next time, so don’t lose it! It serves as your only proof of membership, and if misplaced, you will need to pay the membership fee again to re-enroll in the program.  

Yes, simply pay the membership fee again to obtain another container or token. 

Green Choice is only available at select retail restaurants inside The Campus Chat Food Court. Our Dining Halls already offer sustainable solutions with reusable dinnerware and dine-in service. This approach allows us to keep our Meal Plan prices affordable while also reducing food waste. Like most dine-in restaurants, outside containers—including beverage containers and Green Choice containers taken from the Food Court—are not permitted inside the Dining Halls. Our serveware, utensils and surfaces are sanitized to meet stringent food safety standards. If a dirty container makes contact with a serving utensil or self-service item, all guests are then at risk of possible contamination. Our team members ensure all Green Choice containers are cleaned between each use and handled properly before you receive your meal.  

The Return Station is emptied frequently to ensure used containers are washed soon after they are deposited. Then our Green Choice containers are cleaned in a high temperature commercial dishwasher at 180°F, which is tested regularly by our own internal health department as well as an external auditor.  Temperatures are consistently logged for quality control, and EcoLab, our sanitation vendor, tests the machines on a regular basis to ensure proper function.

Using a recyclable, reusable eco-takeout container is an easy change that can make a big difference! Keeping plastic out of landfills and oceans helps keep our environment clean and wildlife safe. Reducing transportation needs by washing and reusing the containers in-house also cuts down on fossil fuel use and carbon emissions. 

Green Choice has been made possible by UNT students through the Mean Green Fund. In 2019, a group of students submitted a proposal to bring their vision of a greener campus to life. Their goal was to divert at least 18,000 single-use plastic containers from the landfill each year. By reducing waste, not only would our campus have a lower environmental impact, use less resources and energy to save money, but students would learn about carbon footprints and the impact of single-use plastics on our planet. Learn more.   

Green Choice is starting as a pilot program, and we will be evaluating participation, member feedback, financial sustainability and other factors to determine the future of the program. Let us know what you think! 

If you lose your token, you may pay the membership fee again to re-enroll in the program. We are unable to provide replacement tokens if lost or stolen. The token serves as your only proof of enrollment. 

Dining@unt.edu or 940-565-2462