What is the best way to message reuse?
A “deep dive” on messaging reuse to key audiences
Upstream’s Reuse Solutions Network (RSN) and its subgroups provide valuable convening spaces for NGOs, entrepreneurs, local organizations, community leaders, and governments working to catalyze reuse. One of these subgroups, the Local Deep Dives group, is made up of individuals, coalitions, and groups working on local policy and implementation—and recently they convened to discuss the best reuse messaging when approaching different audiences.
Based on their experience on the ground, breakout groups formulated ideas around effective reuse messaging for sectors including food service & local businesses, policymakers, schools, and event & large venues. They considered the concerns and obstacles these different audiences face, the questions they tend to have, and the most impactful benefits reuse can have for their field of work.
The result of their work is our new Messaging Reuse to Key Audiences guide. While some messaging applies for all the groups, each audience can also benefit from specifically tailored points. We hope this guide helps with your reuse work.
Messaging reuse to key audiences
This document is a resource for messaging strategies and talking points tailored to the four audience types that local advocates commonly target to promote reuse in food service. A list of resources has been provided for each section, but for a more comprehensive list, please refer to the Reuse for Onsite Dining library.
Food service businesses | Policymakers | Schools | Venues & Events
Food service businesses
What messaging works best for this audience?
Consider → There is a big difference between a small coffee shop and a large restaurant. Keep it targeted to which business type you are reaching out to and tailor your messaging accordingly.
Economics
A switch to reuse has been demonstrated to generate cost savings through reduced supply costs and waste management savings.
Aim to show specific and closely related case studies to the business you are speaking with.
Consider sharing easily accessible facts/resources that challenge pre-formed beliefs about reuse.
Reuse can expand a business’ customer base.
Mention that reuse can provide a new marketing angle, since it can generate sustainability appeal and attract like-minded customers. If possible, point to certifications and recognitions that businesses can leverage to promote their brand.
Customer experience
Reuse offers a more elegant and elevated experience when dining at a restaurant or visiting a cafe.
Reuse is shown to improve the customer experience for take-out.
Feasibility and convenience
Reuse can and does work in food service settings.
Provide relevant examples or case studies and point to other examples of reuse in your community. For instance, reuse occurring at a locally well-known or large venue seems to drive smaller businesses to consider the switch as well.
There are proven steps to converting and starting reuse operations in food service.
Share resources regarding startup and operations, including staff training. The key is easing staff burden and making implementation easier.
If possible, point to available support (i.e. mini grants, rebates, incentives, technical support programs).
Many resources exist to help foodservice businesses overcome barriers to reuse.
Proactively address barriers a business may be facing. For example, connecting a small business with no dishwashing equipment to a company that can assist them.
If you are a municipality reaching out directly to businesses, consider coupling messages about reuse with other public programs / initiatives that could better address the needs of those businesses.
Resources
Switching to reuse for onsite dining in foodservice - Tips, tricks & considerations
The Reuse Outreach Playbook - An advocacy guide for conducting reuse outreach & education at food businesses
Reuse Save Money Factsheet for Restaurants and coffee shop handout
Rethink Disposable - Case Studies
Beyond Plastics - A Restaurant’s Guide To Reducing Plastic
Product Stewardship Institute - Restaurant and Eatery Guide
Plastic Free Restaurants - Resources for Restaurants and subsidies
Reusable LA - Assessment of Restaurant Attitudes on Sustainability in Foodware Practices in LA County, which includes survey sample in numerous languages
Policymakers
What messaging works best for this audience?
Consider → It’s important to know the key motivation of your policymakers and what they care about most. Certain messages will resonate differently depending on the landscape of the community.
Local job creation and benefits to businesses
Reuse creates new, clean, local job opportunities.
Reuse can save businesses money on purchases and increase their customer base.
Cost savings for municipalities
Reuse decreases the amount of money cities spend on litter cleanup and street sweeping.
Reuse reduces municipal waste management costs.
Benefits to public health and improvement in quality of life
Reuse provides a just transition away from extractive and polluting processes, as well as disposal industries that disproportionately impact environmental justice communities.
Reuse is better for public health and leads to lower exposure to toxins and microplastics than single-use materials.
Litter reduction and clean streets and waterways instill a sense of pride in the community.
If you are advocating for a reuse policy, mention how constituents will benefit from the proposed policy.
Benefits to the environment
Reuse lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Reuse decreases the amount of waste that pollutes the environment and diverts waste from landfills.
Reuse conserves natural resources by keeping materials in circulation for longer and reducing the need for extraction.
Reuse can help governments reach their climate and zero waste goals.
Reuse is tried and true: reuse policy already has broad support across stakeholders
Many businesses already use reusables or support reusable foodware policies.
Show local examples from within your district/s.
A broad, multi-stakeholder coalition supports reuse.
If this is the case in your area, highlight the breadth & depth of supporters across different groups, like businesses, government agencies, advocates/community groups, NGOs, etc.
Dozens of other municipalities/states/provinces/countries have reuse policies in place.
Remember, competition between governments can be motivating, so mention other places that already have similar policies in place - use the most relevant examples for whatever you’re trying to pass!
Resources
Fact sheet for policymakers: Support reuse for onsite dining policy
Reuse Policy Tracker for examples of other jurisdictions that have passed reuse policies
Product Stewardship Institute: Supporting Reusable Food Serviceware in Your Community: A Guide for Municipalities
See case studies listed in other audience resources
Schools
What messaging works best for this audience?
Consider → Finding the right person/people to embark on switching a school or district to reuse is both a challenge and a game changer. You need a champion in the school and will want to structure your messaging to match with their priorities.
Children’s health
Chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, and styrene—found in many single-use foodware items—can have unintended health consequences for children as they progress through critical stages of growth and development.
Reusable foodware tends to be healthier as a food contact material.
Cost savings
By switching to reusable foodware, schools can save money.
Reduced waste can decrease waste hauling costs for a school.
Relying on reusables decreases the amount of purchasing and staff time spent on procurement.
There are often grants and funding opportunities available to financially support schools.
If possible, bring examples to the conversation.
Environmental education and sustainability leadership
Once students are taught environmental concepts and act upon them habitually, they are more likely to carry them forward for the remainder of their lives.
Reuse in the cafeteria can be tied to sustainability and environmental education in the classroom.
Enhances the school's reputation as an environmentally responsible institution.
Resources
Center for Environmental Health Ditching Disposables Toolkit
Case studies
Center for Environmental Health Case Studies
Rethink Disposable - Bishop O’Dowd High School, Palo Alto Unified School District, Berkeley Unified School District
The Cost and Environmental Benefits of Using Reusable Food Ware in Schools - A Minnesota case study
K-12 Sustainability Report: Compostables vs. Reusables at Benjamin Franklin Elementary
Plastic Free Restaurants - Resources for Schools and subsidies
Reuse in Schools resource page
Cafeteria Culture - Plastic Free Lunch Day guides
Venues & Events
What messaging works best for this audience?
Consider → It’s important to try and close the imagination gap. Many venues and event organizers may not understand what it looks like to implement a reuse system at scale, so be very clear operationally in your messaging.
Waste reduction and climate benefits
A reduction in waste by transitioning to a reuse system results in significant diversion from landfill.
Reuse is a climate solution, which can help a venue / event decrease its carbon footprint.
Reusables are superior to other single-use alternatives, including compostables and aluminum cups, in terms of their waste and climate impacts.
Reuse as another form of revenue
Deposit systems or sustainability fees can generate revenue that can be reinvested in other operations.
Competitive edge
Embracing reuse and publicizing it will portray your venue / event as a market and sustainability leader.
Sustainability and waste reduction increasingly matter to customers. There is soft power and a competitive advantage in embracing reuse.
Waste reduction and climate metrics from switching to reuse can be used in marketing campaigns.
Climate and waste plans are becoming more commonplace across municipalities and reuse policy is gaining momentum. There is an early mover advantage in transitioning to reuse.
This point is particularly salient in places where there is likely to be future policy.
Feasibility and convenience
Several reuse service providers are operating at the venue/event level that offer streamlined, turnkey reuse services.
Give examples of reuse service providers that cater to this sector.
Reuse can and does work, evidenced by the fact that there is an ever expanding number of venues and events that have made the switch to reuse.
Share relevant examples of venues and events that have already embraced reuse in their operations.
If you're able to, provide resources regarding startup and operations, including staff training – the key is easing staff burden and making implementation easier.
Point to available support (i.e. mini grants, rebates, incentives, technical support programs).
Resources
Case studies
Rethink Disposable - Case study at three San Francisco venues
Reuse Seattle - ZooTunes Launch Report
Planet Bluegrass - Reusable Plate Program: How-to Handbook for Festivals