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ReThink Disposable Community
Join Clean Water Fund’s ReThink Disposable program for an evening of community and conversation.
Living Safely with Lead Summer Series
Join Clean Water Action for the Living Safely with Lead Summer Series, a five-part virtual event focused on understanding and preventing lead exposure in Philadelphia homes and neighborhoods.
Duncan Donahue
Duncan started at Clean Water Action as a summer canvasser in the Ann Arbor in 2022 and developed as a Field Manager then Senior Field Manager in East Lansing. Their work at Clean Water Action is a continuation of their lifelong love of the Great Lakes and deep commitment to the struggle for a more just and equitable society.
Duncan split most of their childhood between South Bend, Indiana and Midland, Michigan before their family ultimately settled in Grand Rapids. They graduated with bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, where they became
House Of Dim Sum
ReThink Disposable has long partnered with the City of San Francisco to help restaurants replace single-use foodware with cost-saving and planet-friendly reusable foodware. A recent champion is the House of Dim Sum in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which spent thousands of dollars weekly on disposable foodware.
After receiving technical assistance and fiscal support, the restaurant has eliminated 2.2 million disposable items every year. That’s more than seven tons of trash that won’t exist — the weight of a San Francisco cable car! An upfront investment of just $429 for durables will save $33,561 per year.
View the Case Study here (English) and here (Chinese).
Read more in The San Francisco Chronicle: Why San Francisco is spending $200,000 on dishware for restaurants
To learn more about our ReThink Disposable program, visit ReThinkDisposable.org.
Business Profile:
House of Dim Sum is located in San Francisco’s iconic Chinatown and specializes in, you guessed it, dim sum! Before working with SF Environment and ReThink Disposable, Ying Huang, the owner, spent thousands of dollars each week on disposable foodware to serve dine-in customers. After a visit from SF Environment’s outreach team, she learned that the ReThink Disposable program provides funds to switch from disposables to reusables for on-site dining. Huang joined the program — resulting in the elimination of unnecessary landfill waste and produced tremendous cost savings, which further supports House of Dim Sum as a cultural point of significance and source of nourishment for San Franciscans and Chinatown visitors.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Napkins automatically included with all orders
- Disposable hot cups
- Individually wrapped creamer
- Plastic forks and spoons
- 3 sizes of plastic clamshells,
paper boats, and deli containers
Recommendations Implemented:
- Napkins only upon request
- Stainless steel double-walled cups
- Carafe for bulk creamer
- Stainless steel utensils and teaspoons for stirrers
- Durable baskets and reusable plates
Before & After
Business Information:
735 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA 94133
United States
The Bottom Line
$429
upfront investment in reusable foodware
$33,561
annual savings after payback period
2,200,000
disposable items reduced per year
I encourage other businesses to work with ReThink Disposable and the City for the cost savings and to eliminate disposable items.
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.