At the Feb. 15 meeting of the Liquor Advisory Commission, commission member Tracey Herbert, who is also the manager of Legends, 522 E. Green St., raised concerns about the amount of garbage that would be produced on Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day if Campustown bars were not allowed to sell beer in pitchers.

Herbert said that selling beer in plastic glasses alone would increase the amount of garbage that bar owners would have to deal with, and he raised concern about overflowing garbage bins.

However, Champaign Police Sgt. Scott Friedlein said that it was not a concern that the city would deal with, as garbage pickup is not a city service, but is coordinated through private sources. Friedlein said that individual bar owners would need to coordinate extra pickup times if they thought the amount of garbage would be a concern.

Friedlein also said that it was more important to curb the effects of binge drinking by having the bars sell alcohol in plastic cups rather than pitchers as it would force drinkers to make more trips to the bar. This would also allow bartenders to keep a closer eye on those who may be drinking in excess.

“That’s like asking if you have a piece of garbage running down the road, is that as important as the pedestrian that just got hit by a car,” Friedlein said.

Compiled by Katie O’Connell