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.
IISD Winnipeg Reusable Cup Program: Sam’s Place
Venue size: 120 transactions/day
Dishwashing model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government funding — ECCC
Material: Metal
Return Rate: 97%
Disposables Avoided: 155 (3 months)
Cost Savings: unknown
Reuse Canada: Reuse Ottawa
Venue size: 8 locations
Dishwashing model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government funding — ECCC
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 95%
Disposables Avoided: unknown
Cost Savings: unknown
Fill it Forward: University of Texas Austin
Project Size: 54,000 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 97%
Disposables Avoided: 28,000 (4 months)
Cost Savings: $6,500
Break-Even: Unknown
Fill it Forward: Hamilton College
Project Size: 2,000 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 98.5%
Disposables Avoided: 15,769 (3 months)
Cost Savings: $7,883
Break-Even: Unknown
Fill it Forward: Georgia State University
Project Size: 54,320 student body
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: university dining operations
Material: plastic
Return Rate: 98%
Disposables Avoided: 102,000 (year 1)
Cost Savings: $30,000
Break-Even: Unknown
Zero Waste Europe: Food Surplus Management
Venue size: n/a
Dishwashing model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Public funding
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 90%
Disposables Avoided: 1,259 (annual average)
Cost Savings: unknown
Club Brugge: Jan Breydel Stadium
Venue Size: 29,000
Dishwashing Model: Commercial Dishwasher
Funding Source: Venue paid
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: 94.3%
Disposables Avoided: 1,222,806 (1 year)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
WeReuse: Michigan Schools
Project Size: 5 schools
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Plastic Free America
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 44,020 (annual)
Cost Savings: $3,166 per school (annual)
Break-Even: unknown
Blue Daisi: SoapBox Project
Venue Size: n/a
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Unknown
Material: Ceramic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 1,100 (1 event)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: n/a
Blue Daisi: Equinox Studios
Venue Size: n/a
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Unknown
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 5,207 (3 events)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: n/a
Bold Reuse: Taste of Ann Arbor
Venue Size: 90,000
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Venue funded
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 8,764 (1 day)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: n/a
Zero Waste Europe: Conoma Local 2025
Venue Size: 645
Dishwashing Model: Commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: unknown
Material: Plastic, rice husk, glass, palm leaf
Return Rate: 70.1% (for cup program)
Disposables Avoided: 3,504 (3 days)
Cost Savings: unknown
Break-Even: n/a
Bold Reuse: CPCK Stadium
Venue Size: 11,500
Dishwashing Model: Reuse Service Provider
Funding Source: Venue paid
Material: Plastic
Return Rate: unknown
Disposables Avoided: 258,095 (2 years)
Cost Savings: Unknown
Break-Even: Unknown
ReThink Disposable: Arlington Public Schools
Project Size: 6019 students
Dishwashing Model: commercial dishwasher
Funding Source: Government grant
Material: metal
Disposables Avoided: 315,436 (annual)
Cost Savings: $12,929 (annual)
Break-Even: 7.4 months
ReThink Disposable: Casa do Petisco
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: metal, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 24,074 (annual)
Cost Savings: $3,005 (annual)
Break-Even: .9 months
ReThink Disposable: University Taqueria
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: metal, plastic
Disposables Avoided: 52,664 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,224 (annual)
Break-Even: .8 months
ReThink Disposable: Falafel, Etc
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: metal, ceramic
Disposables Avoided: 158,468 (annual)
Cost Savings: $11,779 (annual)
Break-Even: 1.3 months
ReThink Disposable: Voca Coffee
Capacity: unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: metal, glass, silicone
Disposables Avoided: 41,659 (annual)
Cost Savings: $1,609 (annual)
Break-Even: 4.3 months
ReThink Disposable: World Gourmet
Capacity: Unknown
Dishwashing model: 3-compartment sink
Funding Source: ReThink Disposable
Material: Metal, porcelain
Disposables Avoided: 65,179 (annual)
Cost Savings: $3,458 (annual)
Break-Even: 4.8 months
Surfrider: Magnus on Water
Capacity: 100
Dishwashing model: unknown
Funding Source: venue paid
Material: metal (straws)
Disposables Avoided: 22,000 (annual)
Cost Savings: $138 (annual)
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
