If one Washington University student group is successful in garnering student support, Bear’s Den will be a disposable-box-free zone by fall 2014.

Net Impact, the group behind the Eco To-Go box initiative, released a survey on Facebook the week before Thanksgiving seeking student feedback to gauge the effectiveness of its current program. The survey also contained a question regarding student opinion on a potential pilot program that would eliminate disposable to-go boxes in all the Bear’s Den stations except the kosher station, which would be exempt due to dietary limitations.

The change would leave students the option of a plate or an Eco To-Go box.

Net Impact is still seeking student input to determine whether to implement the pilot. Its goal is to make Eco To-Go an easier and more natural choice for students, Lilia Cirrincione, sophomore and Net Impact co-president, said.

“Switching from…a disposable box to either a plate or an Eco To-Go box has been a bit challenging because you have to store all three of them at each station and the server has to make sure to ask or the student has to make sure to specify—and during rush hour, it can be kind of hectic and complicated to do so,” Cirrincione said.

“Our idea was that if everyone had an Eco To-Go box and you eliminate the choice of disposable, it makes the system easier and more efficient,” she said.

Cirrincione emphasized that the pilot would only be implemented if students supported it.

“We really just want to see what students are thinking and get a feel for the program. We haven’t formulated some math formula to decide if it’s a yes or no answer [to implement the pilot],” Cirrincione said. “We want everyone to really be excited and enjoy using [Eco To-Go]…we don’t want to make it a burden.”

The details of the program are pending student approval, Cirrincione said, but the earliest it would be implemented is in the fall of 2014. She added that Net Impact hopes to provide all incoming students with a voucher for a free Eco To-Go token next year, as it did this year.

Some students were in support of the pilot and the environmental impact it might have.

“The only responsibility would just be bringing that box back…I guess I would support it. There really isn’t that big of a problem, I would think, if it’s trying to promote something better for the community. If we’re all just giving up a little bit, that doesn’t really take a lot on our part, “ freshman Jacob Metz, who does not currently participate in the Eco To-Go program, said.

Other students, however, said eliminating disposable boxes might place an unreasonable burden on students.

“I’d probably disagree with [the pilot], especially if people have to keep paying for Eco To-Go because that’s just not fair,” junior Mike Merzel said.