Supporting reusable food serviceware in your community (2024)

This guide summarizes current best practices for fostering a reuse economy at the community and municipal level. The guide is the culmination of a project that PSI conducted with earthday365 to establish reusable food serviceware systems in St. Louis, Missouri. The project included research on reuse policies and practices, including interviews with local governments and reuse companies, an open-loop reuse food serviceware pilot, mini-grants for closed-loop reuse initiatives, and a feasibility study for a city-wide closed-loop reuse system. The guide provides an overview of the problems associated with single-use food serviceware, the benefits of a reuse economy, examples of municipalities that have effectively supported the transition to reusable, and actionable steps that municipalities and reuse service providers can take to help establish and scale reuse systems.