5 myths about reusables
It’s 2024 and the pressure is ON! If your campus is anything like other college campuses, sustainability initiatives are not just a “nice to have” any longer - they’re a mandate. And as a campus dining professional, you are getting pressure from the sustainability teams, the aux services directors and most of all, the students themselves. You’ve tried a few things here and there to improve your sustainability score, but nothing has really stuck or made much of an impact. So, 2024 is your year to really “go for it” and fully enter the world of reusable containers.
And. We. Are. HERE. FOR. IT.
If you’re like most folks in the campus dining world, you’ve been hearing about reusables for a while now and have probably formed opinions of your own. Maybe you are concerned that a program would be difficult to implement or that the students wouldn’t like it. Whatever concerns you have, we are here to ease your mind.
Check out the top five myths about reusables. Trust us, we hear them all the time. And not even kidding - number five will SHOCK YOU.
Myth 5: Making the switch to reusables is super difficult
It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? Right now, you are handing out paper coffee cups and plastic clamshell containers and you never need to worry about dealing with them again. If you switch to reusables, the containers…all come back?? The proposition can feel extremely daunting.
But, surprisingly, the switch is remarkably easy. With USEFULL’s training and technology, making the switch from single-use trash is painless. Our team comes on site to teach you the best practices, train your FOH/BOH staff on our system and introduce the program to all of your students. In addition, we offer an in-depth marketing initiative to accelerate the transition and share the exciting improvements to everyone on campus.
Myth 4: Reusables are going to add more plastic to my campus
Let’s face it – most reusable takeout containers out there are plastic. True, they’re thicker and more durable than single-use containers, but at the end of the day, these containers are made from a material that most college campuses are trying to reduce. And many of the containers will end up broken or mistaken for trash.
At USEFULL, we firmly believe that you can’t solve a plastic problem with more plastic. Our cups and containers are made of stainless steel, and our lids are made of silicone. Not only are they more durable than reusable plastic, but they also are also free of microplastics. And at the end of their life cycles, USEFULL recycles both containers and lids, ensuring that nothing ends up in the landfill.
Myth 3: A reusables system is going to add more work to my plate
It might seem that reusable takeout would add more work for dining managers and staff – after all, containers must be transported, washed, and re-stocked, right? In a short-staffed world, more work is the last thing that you want.
In our deployments at campuses across the country, however, we’ve found that reusable takeout easily integrates into current dishwashing routines. Dining operations simply add reusable takeout to staff’s current tasks. And the experienced USEFULL team is there to take care of customer service requests and answer any of your staff’s questions.
Myth 2: My reusables are going to walk off
There is nothing more frustrating than putting resources and effort into a new reusable takeout solution and then seeing your “reusable” containers gradually disappear. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many current takeout solutions – well-meaning dining teams purchase reusable plastic containers, and more than 50% of the containers are never returned each semester.
However, when reusable containers are paired with an accountability system, returns are a given. Unlike other reusable solutions, USEFULL provides a whopping 99% return rate. How is this possible??
USEFULL pairs reusable containers with our proprietary inventory management technology – students check out containers like a library book, and then must return the containers within their free rental period. We promote good behavior with a fair and friendly incentive, which keeps containers coming back – and enables true reuse!
Our founder and CEO, Alison Cove, wrote a great post about our behavior change strategy. Check it out!
Myth 1: I have a budget to keep to, and these reusable containers are going to bust it
This is the big one. We’ve chatted with dozens of dining service providers, and many have the same concern: will a new reusables program put a strain on their already-tight budget?
Reusable containers are more durable than their cheap single-use counterparts – making them look more expensive. But we have found that our partners have saved an average of 20-50% when switching from single-use to reusables. This might seem simply counterintuitive, but when you account for reuse, the cost per use decreases substantially.
But here at USEFULL we don’t want to make you wait to see the cost savings, so we built an inventory lease system which allows our partners to keep their program startup costs low. This removes the need for capital expenditures and makes the transition to reusables even smoother. Additionally, our flat monthly rate includes our return technology, and that means there are no surprises for your billing department if you have a really busy takeout month.
Bottom line
Implementing reusable containers can seem like a big shift. However, this switch doesn’t need to be daunting. At USEFULL, we work with you to design a reusable program that will make you say, wow, that was easy!
If you are interested in learning more about reusables – or if you have any questions we haven’t answered here – feel free to drop us a line. We can’t wait to chat reusables with you!