With fuel-efficient cars, reusable shopping bags available at nearly every department store and the increasing popularity of recycling bins, LSU Dining is also leaving its stamp on going “green” — with reusable mugs.LSU Dining has sold nearly 5,000 reusable mugs within the last year as part of the national Project Green Thumb, prompting the University to adopt its own LSU-branded mugs — but the sale of the mugs does little to decrease consumption, said Matt Moerschbaecher, renewable natural resources graduate student.”It’s been a real hit,” said LSU Dining Director David Heidke. “It was such a success here, we took the step of getting an LSU-branded refillable mug.”The LSU-branded mugs will be available by the end of September for $5.Project Green Thumb mugs were available throughout the summer at a discounted price of $5 with any purchase in the Tiger Lair, Pierre’s Landing, the Atrium Cafe in the Design Building and CC’s Community Coffee House in the Middleton and Law libraries. They were previously available for $8.With the mug, fountain drink and coffee refills are available at the discounted price of 99 cents at participating locations — locales where the mugs are available for purchase.”There’s a cost due to LSU Dining for offering that program,” Heidke said of the discount offered on refills. “It’s just one of the responsible things that we as a dining unit on campus should do.”Moerschbaecher said students ideally should be offered refills on containers they already possess because it would decrease the sale of plastic. “Why don’t they just allow everybody to have 99 cent drinks if it’s the same or smaller volume [as the cups being sold]?” Moerschbaecher said. “It’s about money. They’ve obviously figured they can make enough money by selling these containers.”The majority of sustainable pushes being made are merely “corporations cashing in on the green trend,” Moerschbaecher said — but the efforts fall short of decreasing overall consumption.From the perspective of public health concerns, Moerschbaecher said using plastic to transport hot liquids — like coffee — could potentially have negative health repercussions because plastic        becomes more malleable and loses bisphenol A when heated. Studies have shown the release of bisphenol A could be linked to birth defects in children, Moerschbaecher said. But Moerschbaecher said making the option of refillable mugs available to students is a positive decision.Cas Smith, Student Government assistant director of Campus Development, said SG is working with LSU Dining to offer alternatives to fountain drinks and coffees at discounted prices.”I discussed with [Heidke] about having more liquids accessible for a reduced price and also more locations accepting the green mug,” Smith said. Other SG initiatives aimed at reducing waste include a campus-wide composting initiative and partnering with Frito-Lay to recycle chip bags, Smith said. The upcoming LSU Fall Fest will have a stand and Tiger Card swipe area set up to distribute First Year Experience mugs to incoming freshmen, according to FYE Program Coordinator Maggi Spurlock.FYE is partnering with LSU Dining to produce the mugs featuring an FYE logo and contact information, Spurlock said. “It’s a good way for [freshmen] to visibly identify other first year students, and it kind of creates a community for them,” Spurlock said.An overarching goal of distributing the mugs to first-year students is a green one, Spurlock said. “We want them to be mindful of being green,” she said.—–Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]