Reuse Case Study Explorer
The case for reuse is strong. Many dozens of case studies from pilots and projects around the world and across many sectors prove cost and environmental savings. In order to illustrate the potential for reuse in every documented scenario, Upstream has gathered this filterable database of reuse case studies. By using the filters, you can identify and/or download all case studies pertaining to the most common fields of inquiry. (Discover more sorting tags by clicking into each case study).
If you know of a case study you do not find here, please let us know and we will happily add it! If you would like further information about any of these case studies or would like to further explore how such data can inform your reuse operations, contact us.
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ReThink Disposable: The Warfield
Venue Size: 2250
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 93%
Disposables Avoided: 204,800 (annual)
Cost Savings: $33,000 annual profit due to 3% sustainability fee
Break-Even: Unknown
Re:Dish: Walpole Public Schools
Project Size: 3,700 student school district
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: unknown
Material: plastic, metal
Disposables Avoided: 396,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: unknown
Reuse Seattle: Seattle Pacific University
Project Size: 2,260 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: plastic
Disposables Avoided: 23,900 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
MA DEP: Town of Framingham Elementary Schools
Project Size: 2,154 student school district
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government grant - MASS DEP SMRP
Material: plastic, metal
Disposables Avoided: 16.6 tons
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: less than one year
ReThink Disposable: Middletown School District
Project Size: 4,500 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Public & private grants and donations: CT Equipment Assistance grant, Plastic Free Restaurants, donors
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 3,760,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $91,175
Break-Even: 3.8 months
ReThink Disposable: USF Market Cafe
Project Size: 5,000 transactions/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 2,607,519 (annual)
Cost Savings: $157,883
Break-Even: 2 weeks
ReThink Disposable: Palo Alto Unified School District
Project Size: 3,400 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 436,540 (annual)
Cost Savings: $16,523
Break-Even: 5 months
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