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Minnesota 2023 PFAS Prevention Package: Amara's Law
In 2023, Minnesota passed the strongest PFAS prevention legislation in the country. The legislation was named Amara's Law after Amara Strande, a young woman who grew up in an area contaminated by PFAS and diagnosed with an exceedingly rare form of cancer. Amara advocated and testified in support of the bills banning all non-essential use of PFAS chemicals, requiring manufacturers who are selling products in Minnesota to disclose if PFAS chemicals are present, and to close a loophole in the 2019 bill that ended the use of PFAS in firefighting foam.
San Francisco Music Venues Raise the Bar for Sustainability: Case study on a reusable cup pilot at three San Francisco venues
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.
Interfaith Neighbors Meals on Wheels Monmouth County | Video
As a result of working with ReThink Disposable, Interfaith Neighbors has eliminated distributing fruit cups, as well as individually wrapped desserts, and is now providing clients with fresh fruit. This practice also reduces the number of paper bags used for delivery. The changes are a healthier alternative for both the client and environment and saves essential funds that can be used to better serve their client.
Business Profile:
Founded in 1988, Interfaith Neighbors has been assisting the most vulnerable in Monmouth County, New Jersey in securing life’s critical necessities, while working to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and their communities. Interfaith Neighbors provides multiple services, including daily meals through their Meals on Wheels programs.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
Prior to working with ReThink Disposable, the organization has been providing a fruit cup in small single-use containers and monthly spent thousands of dollars ordering products.
Recommendations Implemented:
Interfaith Neighbors replaced their daily 4-ounce fruit cocktail containers and plastic-wrapped individual desserts for fresh fruit. Staff are pleased with providing healthier food to their clients and clients have expressed their delight at getting fresh fruit.
There was a $0 upfront cost for these new zero-waste practices.
Before & After
Document
Business Information:
810 4th Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
United States
The Bottom Line
$72,000
Total annual cost savings
986,960
Disposable items reduced each year
8,702 lbs
Annual waste reduction
My eyes were made wide open. We replaced a plastic fruit cup, mainly sugar, with a fresh piece of fruit. We took sugary desserts out of our meals as well. Many are diabetic so this is a cost savings as well as a much more nutritious alternative.
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.
Interfaith Neighbors Senior Center Program
As a result of working with ReThink Disposable, Interfaith Neighbors is now serving their clients with more dignity, as they provide a hot meal at all six Senior Centers on reusable foodware. They have eliminated the distribution of plastic single-use disposable fruit cups and individually wrapped desserts. Currently, they provide clients with fresh fruit. This is a healthier alternative for both the client and environment. Through their partnership with ReThink Disposable, Interfaith Neighbors is saving valuable funds that can be used to better serve their clients.
Business Profile:
Founded in 1988, Interfaith Neighbors in Monmouth County, New Jersey has been securing life’s critical necessities for the most vulnerable while improving the quality of life for individuals, families, and their communities. Interfaith Neighbors provides multiple services, including daily dine-in meals through their six senior nutrition programs.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
Prior to working with ReThink Disposable, the organization had been serving clients on exclusively single-use disposable foodware. They also had been providing fruit cocktail in disposable individual portion cups. They were spending thousands of dollars each month, ordering these items that eventually went into the waste stream.
Recommendations Implemented:
Single-use plastic fruit cups with foil lids were replaced with fresh fruit. Bowls and plates were replaced with reusable alternatives, paper cups were replaced with glass mugs and reusable cups, and single-use plastic cutlery was replaced with steel cutlery. The initial investment on new foodware was $2,910, and Interfaith Neighbors eliminated 100% of their single-use disposable foodware.
Before & After
Document
Business Information:
810 4th Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
United States
The Bottom Line
$37,113
Total annual net cost savings
326,000
Disposable items reduced each year
5,155 lbs
Annual waste reduction
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.
The Warfield
The Warfield, originally built in the 1920s, was a vaudeville and movie palace and became a 2,250-person capacity concert hall in 1979 when Bill Graham Presents booked a run of shows with Bob Dylan. The Warfield made the switch from single-use plastic and paper cups to exclusively using reusable r.Cups, available in various sizes (5, 9, 12, 16, and 24-ounce sizes).
Business Profile:
During a 6-month service period with r.Cup, spanning from May to October, The Warfield incurred a cost of $25,800 for r.Cup services. To offset this cost, The Warfield implemented a 3 percent sustainability fee for each drink sold in an r.Cup, resulting in revenue of more than $30,000 since the launch of r.Cup in May 2023. This revenue has the potential to turn r.Cup into a profit center for any venue.
Taking into account r.Cup services, income from the sustainability fee, and elimination of purchasing single-use disposable cups, The Warfield anticipates annual net-earnings of more than $33,000 that will go towards sustaining the reusable cup service into the future.
Read more about The Warfield in San Francisco Music Venues Raise the Bar for Sustainability: Case study on a reusable cup pilot at three San Francisco venues.
Before & After
Document
Business Information:
982 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States
The Bottom Line
204,800
Single-Use Cups Eliminated Annually
93%
Return Rate
12,700
Pounds Of Refuse Diverted Annually
Things have gone wonderfully and we can’t be happier to be part of the initiative.
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.