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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Hobart: Benjamin Franklin Elementary
Project Size: 350 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Private donation (dishwasher)
Material: Plastic, Metal
Disposables Avoided: 128,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $5,780 (net annual)
Break-Even: Unknown
Mastercard: Blenheim Palace
Venue Size: 300
Dishwashing Model: Commercial Dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Disposables Avoided: 320,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $50,000
Break-Even: 4 uses per cup
Bold Reuse: Seattle Public Schools
Project Size: 17 Schools
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Material: Plastic
Disposables Avoided: 300,000 (2023-2025)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Bold Reuse: Ovens Auditorium
Venue Size: 2,455
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 87%
Disposables Avoided: 90,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
ReThink Disposable: Interfaith Neighbors Senior Centers
Project Size: 6 Centers
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: None
Material: metal, glass, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 326,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $37,113 (annual net)
Break-Even: unknown
Grocery Manufacturers of Sweden: Svenska Retursystem
Funding Source: Government Grant - EU Environment Fund (LIFE)
Material: Plastic
Disposables Avoided: 10,400,000
Cost Savings: $22,000,000 (annual)
StopWaste: Finelite
Funding Source: Government Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic racks
Disposables Avoided: 12.45 tons
Cost Savings: $28,300 (annual)
Break-Even: 2 years
StopWaste: Full Belly Farms
Project Size: 150 distribution sites
Funding Source: Government Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 8,330
Cost Savings: $14,161 (annual)
StopWaste: PepsiCo (Gatorade)
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic pallets
Disposables Avoided: 1,320
Cost Savings: $380,000 (annual)
StopWaste: Bay Area News Group
Project Size: 4 Locations
Funding Source: Government Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic pallets
Disposables Avoided: 1,700
Cost Savings: $46,000 (annual)
ROI: 125%
StopWaste: Fiddlehead Farm
Funding Source: Government Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 4,000
Cost Savings: $7,000 (annual)
StopWaste: Toyota Logistics Services
Project Size: 6 Facilities
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 3,000 tons
Cost Savings: $3,500,000 (annual)
StopWaste: Peerless Coffee & Tea
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 3,000
Cost Savings: $10,000 (annual)
Break-Even: 4 years
StopWaste: Kaiser Permanente
Project Size: 12 Hospitals
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic totes
Return/Retention Rate: 93-97%
Disposables Avoided: 360,000
Cost Savings: $40,000 (annual)
Break-Even: 4 years
StopWaste: Ghiradelli Chocolate
Funding Source: Government Grant: Business Waste Prevention Fund
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 580,000
Cost Savings: $1,950,000 (net)
Break-Even: 1.2 years
SurfRider: Flying Fish Co.
Capacity: 200
Dishwashing model: unknown
Funding Source: None
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 50,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $10,000 (annual net)
Break-Even: unknown
ReThink Disposable: Crispian Bakery
Capacity: 10
Dishwashing model: rental dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 59,314 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,739 (annual net)
Break-Even: 6.2 months
ReThink Disposable: New York Pizza
Capacity: 18
Dishwashing model: under counter dishwasher
Funding Source: None
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 135,354 (annual)
Cost Savings: $3,043 (annual net)
Break-Even: 4.1 months
ReThink Disposable: El Metate
Capacity: 40
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink (dishwasher purchased after reporting period)
Funding Source: None
Material: metal, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 493,711 (annual)
Cost Savings: $8,957 (annual net)
Break-Even: 11.3 months
ReThink Disposable: The Conservatory for Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
Capacity: 35
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: None
Material: plastic, metal
Disposables Avoided: 205,008 (annual)
Cost Savings: $6,898 (annual net)
Break-Even: 5.4 months
Additional Resources
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![stadium]()
3 Chart-Reuse Case Studies
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![Two people are holding reusable cups of beer at an event, with a staff member wearing a black shirt and a green staff badge in the background.]()
Reuse Wins at Events
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![People working on wireframes and sketches for a website or app, with colorful sticky notes, markers, and a laptop on a white table.]()
A design sprint with business innovators
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![A bowl of pasta salad with green peas, parsley, lemon wedges, and a dollop of ricotta cheese, with a fork on the side, a glass of water, a stack of salad containers, and a red and white checkered napkin.]()
Serve it Safe
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![Dining area in a restaurant with wooden tables set with white napkins, forks, and empty glasses, large windows showing city buildings outside.]()
5 impact profiles of restaurants that switched to reuse
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![Person holding a metal tray with a meal including strawberries, green peas, blueberries with yogurt, a slice of bread, and fried food, with a metal cup and spoon on the tray.]()
The Conscious Cafeteria Report
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![dinosaur fossils in a natural history museum]()
Chart-Reuse Case Study: Reuse at a Cultural Attraction
