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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City of Ghent: Ghent Festival
Audience Size: 1,500,000
Dishwashing Model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government Grant - City of Ghent
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 89%
Disposables Avoided: 20 tons
Cost Savings: 12% year over year
City of Bremin: Breminale Fesitval
Venue Size: 220,000
Dishwashing Model: Mobile rental dishwashing unit & wash hub
Funding Source: Government Grant - Bremen Cultural Department
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 2.6 tons
Cost Savings: variable
Break-Even: variable
City of Boulder: City Events & Boulderthon
Venue Size: Citywide
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Government Incentive - City of Boulder
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 90-99%
Disposables Avoided: 111,188
Cost Savings: variable
Break-Even: variable
MN Pollution Control Agency: Minnetonka Middle Schools
Project Size: 1,639 student school district
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government grant - MPCA Environmental Assistance
Material: plastic, metal
Disposables Avoided: 700,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $3,000 Y1 / $7,500 annual
Break-Even: less than one year
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
MA DEP: New Bedford Public Schools
Project Size: 12,500 student school district
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government grant - MA DEP SMRP
Material: plastic
Disposables Avoided: 1,627,980 (annual)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: unknown
ReThink Disposable: Bedford Public Schools
Project Size: 1,400 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Private grant: Plastic Free Restaurants
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 261,720 (annual)
Cost Savings: $11,777
Break-Even: 9 months
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
Green Sports Alliance: AEG & Levy
Venue Size: 3 venues (36,350 total capacity)
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 3,000,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
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
Green Sports Alliance: AEG
Venue Size: 11 venues (52,940 total capacity) plus 6 festivals
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 94%
Disposables Avoided: 3,200,000 (3 years)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Green Sports Alliance: Live Nation Entertainment
Venue Size: 45,820
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 80%
Disposables Avoided: 500,000 (2 weeks)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
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
Green Sports Alliance: Wimbledon Championships
Venue Size: 42,000
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: Unknown
Disposables Avoided: 500,000 (2 weeks)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
CEH: Fremont Unified School District
Project Size: 10,000 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Public & Private Grants - StopWaste & Plastic Free Restaurants
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 2,373,300 (annual)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: unknown
ReThink Disposable: Bishop O’Dowd High School
Project Size: 450 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Disposables Avoided: 100,212 (annual)
Cost Savings: $6,459 (net annual)
Break-Even: 21 days
Green Sports Alliance: Arsenal at Emirates Stadium
Venue Size: 60,704
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 80%
Disposables Avoided: 40,000 (per game)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Green Sports Alliance: WM Phoenix Open
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 85%
Disposables Avoided: 7,000 (5 days)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
CEH & ReThink Disposable: Berkeley Unified School District
Project Size: 2000 student meals/day
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Private Grant - Plastic Free Restaurants
Material: Plastic, Metal
Disposables Avoided: 170,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $13,064 (net annual)
Break-Even: Unknown
Green Sports Alliance: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Venue Size: 77,500
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 92%
Disposables Avoided: 30,000 (3 months)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
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
