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.
Surfrider: Magnus on Water
Capacity: 100
Dishwashing model: unknown
Funding Source: n/a
Material: metal (straws)
Disposables Avoided: 22,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $138 (annual)
Break-Even: unknown
Surfrider: Lido House
Capacity: 130 rooms
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: n/a
Material: glass
Disposables Avoided: 180,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $84,000 (annual)
Break-Even: unknown
Vytal: Oracle Park
Venue Size: 40,000
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: None
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 88%
Disposables Avoided: 1,000,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Reusables: Simon Fraser University
Project Size: 22,543 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: Metal
Return Rate: 99.63%
Disposables Avoided: 6,527 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Reusables: University of Guelph
Project Size: 30,600 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 99.32%
Disposables Avoided: 550,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Reusables: Hollyburn Country Club
Venue Size: 8,000
Dishwashing Model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Private
Material: Metal
Return Rate: 99.3%
Disposables Avoided: 108,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: 2 months
Reusables: Pomona College
Project Size: 1,750 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 98.2%
Disposables Avoided: 70,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Reusables: University of Victoria
Project Size: 18,790 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 97%
Disposables Avoided: 25,000
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
Smart DRS: IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship
Venue Size: 2 venues, 29 games
Dishwashing Model: Industrial dishwasher
Funding Source: unknown
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 80%
Disposables Avoided: 75,000 (9 days)
Cost Savings: unknown
Surfrider: JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop
Capacity: 300
Dishwashing model: unknown
Funding Source: unknown
Material: metal, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: unknown (50% reduction)
Cost Savings: $25,500 (annual)
Break-Even: unknown
Vytal: University of Antwerp
Project Size: 20,000 student body
Dishwashing Model: unknown
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 98%
Disposables Avoided: unknown
Cost Savings: unknown (no drop in sales)
Break-Even: Unknown
We ReUse: Central Elementary
Project Size: 571 students
Dishwashing Model: unknown (in-house)
Funding Source: Plastic Free Restaurants
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 163,800 (annual)
Cost Savings: $11,062 (net annual)
Break-Even: n/a
Circular&Co: National Trust Morden Hall Park
Venue Size: unknown
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Paid by venue
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 98%
Disposables Avoided: 1,175 (4 weeks)
Cost Savings: unknown
Scholar Project: Field & Social
Venue size: unknown
Dishwashing model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Paid by venue
Material: metal
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 1,200 (3 years)
Cost Savings: $0
Scholar Project: Bard on the Beach
Venue Size: 1000
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Paid by venue
Material: plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 14,000
Cost Savings: unknown
ReThink Disposable: Korean Palace
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Private grant
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 10,235 (annual)
Cost Savings: $444 (annual net)
Break-Even: 6.9 months
ReThink Disposable: Thai Chili Express
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: Private grant
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 10,307 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,321 (annual net)
Break-Even: 5.5 months
ReThink Disposable: La Enramada
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: Private grant
Material: metal, glass, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 360,834 (annual)
Cost Savings: $15,427 (annual net)
Break-Even: .4 months
ReThink Disposable: Harrington Elementary
Project Size: 363 students
Dishwashing Model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government funding & private grant
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 175,500 (annual)
Cost Savings: $14,064 (net annual)
Break-Even: 3.2 months
Reuzzi: College of Wooster
Project Size: 1,800 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 99%
Disposables Avoided: 25,487 (annual)
Cost Savings: $8,500
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
