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Environmental Justice Organizer | Hybrid in Elizabeth, NJ
State Director Assistant | Hybrid in Elizabeth, NJ
University Taqueria, Berkeley
With the help of our ReThink Disposable Zero Waste Specialists, University Taqueria is eliminating 52,664 items from the waste stream every year, and the business is saving $1,224 annually, which can be reinvested into other upgrades to the space. They were able to cut their overall disposable usage by 55% annually and totally eliminate disposables from dine-in service!
Business Profile:
University Taqueria is a community favorite in Berkeley, California. Locals and university students alike enjoy the standard comfort foods: tacos, burritos, and incredible quesadilla plates that keep the neighborhood fed and satisfied! Their authentic flan dessert is something that you don’t want to pass up when you're enjoying a meal at this local eatery.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Bioplastic drink cups
- Plastic sauce cups
- Plastic forks
- Plastic spoons
Recommendations Implemented:
- Reusable SAN plastic cups
- Stainless steel sauce cups
- Stainless steel forks
- Stainless steel spoons
2021 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
The Bottom Line
52,664
55%
$1224
The program has been very helpful ... It helps us a lot, especially because we are saving money and there is less trash for us. You are making everything easier for us! ... We've [already] been buying fewer forks and spoons since we have the metal ones, and the water dispenser is perfect!
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.
Casa Do Petisco, Berkeley
With the help of our ReThink Disposable Zero Waste Specialists, Casa Do Petisco is eliminating 24,074 individual pieces of single use disposables (754 pounds, or the weight of a baby grand piano!) from the waste stream and will be saving $3,005 annually, which can be reinvested into the business. They were able to cut their disposable usage by 52% annually.
Casa Do Petisco is another example of how just a few changes can make a big impact.
Business Profile:
Casa Do Petisco has become a place of community, bringing Brazilian cultural staples, flare, and food to the Elmood District of Berkeley. Not only do they have a restaurant and local market (Berkeley Organic Market) including Brazilian goods, but they also regularly host open community events with food and live music.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Fiber clamshells
- Disposable coffee cups
- Coffee cup lids
- Paper sauce cups
- Plastic packaged cutlery
Recommendations Implemented:
- Ceramic bowls
- Stoneware coffee mugs
- Stainless steel sauce cups
- Stainless steel forks & knives
2642 Ashby Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705
United States
The Bottom Line
Casa Do Pestico switched 52% of their disposable foodware to reusable for their dine-in guests, which results in over $3,000 in savings annually for the restaurant.
$3,005
24,074
52%
The biggest difference I've noticed is in our purchasing of coffee cups, to-go clamshells, and to-go silverware. We love having real plates, bowls, and silverware for our guests. It elevates their experience of our business and helps us reduce waste. We especially loved that you worked with us to pick items that fit our practical needs and aesthetics.
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.
Ballast Coffee, San Francisco
Café owner Paolo Araneta, every bit as bold as the Barako coffee he serves in San Francisco, deployed a new reusable jar system for Ballast’s daily grab-and-go treats and eliminated single-use disposable containers. Jar deposits are refunded upon return of the jar, or can be applied to the next purchase. After two months of implementation, staff reported a return rate of 75% and didn’t need to restock their jar supply.
Business Profile:
Nestled in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood, Ballast Coffee is known to be the only café serving Barako coffee in the city of San Francisco. Grown only in the Philippines and small parts of Malaysia and Vietnam, coffee beans are shipped green to the café and are roasted locally.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Three sizes of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic containers for grab-and-go snacks (24-ounce for salads, 16-ounce for overnight oats, and 9-ounce for chia pudding and yogurt cups)
- Single-use forks, spoons, and knives
Recommendations Implemented:
- Replaced three varieties of PLA containers with returnable wide-mouth glass canning jars with lids (32-ounce, 16-ounce, and 8-ounce)
- Replaced single-use utensils with stainless steel flatware
- Placed signage next to napkins encouraging customers to “take only what they need”
329 W Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA 94127
United States
The Bottom Line
$1,263
12,369 pieces
245 pounds
Reusables [are] the only way small businesses like Ballast should move forward. We all need to do our part in contributing to a sustainable future. Small things add up fast. If we all do our part, what a difference we all can make.
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.