Clean Water Fund

This guide provides examples of reusable foodware substitutes for disposable products that contribute to the waste generated by a typical food service business.

Franciscan Charities, located in Newark, New Jersey serves hot lunches five days a week to the most vulnerable. The organization implemented the ReThink Disposable program, switching 100% of their disposable foodware to reusable for their dine-in guests, resulting in $47,973 total annual net cost savings, 936,000 disposable items reduced per year, and 10,750 pounds of annual waste reduction.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund emphasize the need to fully replace all lead service lines, service line inventories, and lowering the Action Level for lead in water sampling.

In a groundbreaking initiative to combat single-use plastic pollution, several iconic San Francisco music venues took the leap towards sustainability by switching to reusable cups. Supported by San Francisco Environment Department and Clean Water Fund’s ReThink Disposable program, these venues teamed up with reusable cup providers r.World and TURN, leading the way in the entertainment industry.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has created an opportunity to strengthen State Revolving Fund programs for the long term. Increased funding and technical assistance, along with requirements for funding projects in disadvantaged communities, should lead to a more equitable allotment of funding and to significant improvement of water infrastructure nationwide. Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund examined information provided by the 50 States’ SRF programs to develop a snapshot of accessibility and transparency and to identify areas of potential procedural improvement to dramatically broaden and diversify the number of communities and projects applying for funding.