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.
Sector Key
Click an icon to see case studies by sector — and/or use the filters in the side bar.
USEFULL: Mount Holyoke College
Project Size: 2330 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: unknown
Material: metal
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 92,870 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
USEFULL: Northern Arizona University
Project Size: 28,000 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: University funding — Green Student Fund
Material: metal
Return Rate: 99.74%
Disposables Avoided: 270,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: 34%
Break-Even: Unknown
StopWaste: Veritable Vegetable
Project size: 500 customers
Funding Source: Public grant - StopWaste
Material: Mesh pallet wrap
Disposables Avoided: 7 miles of plastic wrap
Cost Savings: $6,258 (annual)
Break-even: 1.5 years
StopWaste: US Foods
Project size: 250,000 distribution sites
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic pallets & rubber bands
Disposables Avoided: 50 tons
Cost Savings: $8,000 (annual)
StopWaste: Fifth Crow Farm
Project size: 200 CSA customers
Funding Source: Public Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic totes
Disposables Avoided: 1,440 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,200 (annual)
StopWaste: Boulder Valley School District
Funding Source: Public Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic totes & tubs
Disposables Avoided: 3,400 (annual)
Cost Savings: $4,500 (annual)
StopWaste: America’s Best Coffee Roasting Company
Funding Source: Public Grant - StopWaste
Material: Plastic totes & bins
Disposables Avoided: 52,500 (annual)
Cost Savings: $11,750 (annual)
Break-even: 10 months
Keep Scotland Beautiful: Highland Cup Movement
Project size: 22 participating businesses
Dishwashing model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Grant - Bring it Back Fund
Material: plastic
Return rate: 92%
Disposables Avoided: 1,051 (7 months)
Cost Savings: n/a
ReThink Disposable: Lola’s Chicken Shack
Capacity: 48
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: none
Material: mixed
Disposables Avoided: 65,022 (annual)
Cost Savings: $13,205 (annual net)
Break-Even: 15 days - cups, 12 months - straws
ReThink Disposable: Cybelle’s Pizza
Capacity: 20
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: none
Material: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 162,946 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,579 (annual net)
Break-Even: 3.8 months
ReThink Disposable: Manila Eatery
Capacity: 35
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: none
Material: plastic, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 54,507 (annual)
Cost Savings: $4,693 (annual net)
Break-Even: 1.3 months
ReThink Disposable: Skip the Stuff Case Study
Project Size: 20 restaurants
Disposables Avoided: 1,578,769 (annual)
Single-use Reduction: 94%
ReThink Disposable: Shish Grill
Capacity: 30
Dishwashing model: 3 compartment sink
Funding Source: none
Material: glass, plastic, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 73,559 (annual)
Cost Savings: $974 (annual net)
Break-Even: unknown
ReThink Disposable: San Carlos Youth Center
Capacity: 130
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: unknown
Material: durable non-plastic
Disposables Avoided: 18,898 (annual)
Cost Savings: $719 (annual net)
Break-Even: 17.7 months
ReThink Disposable: Ballast Coffee
Capacity: 30
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: none
Material: metal, glass
Return Rate: 75%
Disposables Avoided: 12,369 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,263 (annual net)
Break-Even: 4.3 months
ReThink Disposable: House of Dim Sum
Capacity: 84
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 2,206,277 (annual)
Cost Savings: $33,561 (annual net)
Break-Even: 1.7 weeks
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
ReThink Disposable: The Fillmore
Venue Size: 1199
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 89% (2 months)
Disposables Avoided: 16,400 (2 months) / 176,200 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,400 (annual)
Break-Even: Unknown
ReThink Disposable: August Hall
Venue Size: 951
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 91% (3.5 months)
Disposables Avoided: 24,500 (3.5 months) / 232,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $29,700 (annual)
Break-Even: Unknown
ReThink Disposable: Franciscan Charities of Newark
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: donations
Material: glass, metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 936,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $47,973 (annual net)
Break-Even: n/a
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
