How UCLA Dining Made Choosing Sustainability Effortless With Reusables.com

‍1. Partner Overview

Name: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Location: Los Angeles, California

Population Served: 45,000+ students, staff, and faculty

Operational Context: The Greenhouse - campus retail dining

UCLA is a nationally recognized leader in environmental stewardship, with decades of progress toward a Zero Waste by 2025 goal. Sustainability is embedded in the university’s culture—from campus design to food service operations. Within UCLA Dining Services, this commitment takes shape through daily efforts to minimize waste, lower costs, and make sustainable habits intuitive for guests.

Before adopting Reusables.com, the Greenhouse dining location relied on single-use paper goods. While compostable, these materials carried high procurement and disposal costs and did not fully eliminate waste streams. The dining team wanted a solution that was not only better for the environment but also simpler to manage operationally—something that would make reuse as easy as takeout.

When Reusables.com introduced its tech-enabled reusable packaging system, UCLA saw an opportunity to model a new, circular dining experience that fit seamlessly within its broader sustainability strategy.

2. The Challenge

Even with strong sustainability practices, UCLA Dining faced persistent barriers common to large foodservice operations:

• High recurring costs from single-use paper goods that were compostable but expensive to source and replace.
• Operational complexity tied to composting logistics, contamination, and additional waste-handling labor.
• Lack of measurable data to accurately track waste reduction and demonstrate progress toward zero-waste goals.

The team also wanted a solution that could scale easily across dining locations without requiring major workflow changes for staff.

“We were using single-use paper goods for our Greenhouse location,” one team member shared. “It worked, but it was expensive and challenging when you’re trying to be green and compostable.”

Students at UCLA are passionate about sustainability and already motivated to make responsible choices. The challenge wasn’t about convincing people to care—it was about removing friction and making sustainability the easiest choice on campus.

UCLA Dining’s goal was clear: implement a reuse solution that was cost-efficient, data-driven, and effortless for both diners and operators.

3. The Solution

In early 2024, UCLA partnered with Reusables.com to introduce a smart reusable container program at the Greenhouse dining location. The program was designed for simplicity, scalability, and real-world impact—combining the familiarity of takeout with the accountability of a closed-loop reuse system.

Here’s how it works:

1. Choose – Guests select a reusable container at the Greenhouse dining counter.
2. Fill – They fill it with their meal as they would with a disposable container.
3. Scan – At checkout, a quick app-based scan links the container to their account—no additional steps required.
4. Return – Containers can be dropped off later at designated return stations on campus for cleaning and recirculation.

“All you have to do is just choose the reusable container, fill it up, scan at the register, pay for the meal, and that’s it. It’s super simple.”

The program’s turn-key design and intuitive workflow made it easy for dining staff to adopt with minimal training. Reusables.com provided full setup support, signage, and digital resources for communicating with students.

Within days, the UCLA Dining team reported smooth operations and strong participation from students. The system not only eliminated disposable packaging but also delivered real-time data on return rates and usage patterns, empowering UCLA to measure its sustainability success with confidence.

4. The Playbook

Decision & Planning

UCLA’s sustainability and dining teams began by identifying the financial and environmental costs of single-use packaging. Waste audits revealed that even compostable containers generated significant downstream costs. After evaluating several solutions, the team chose Reusables.com for its ease of integration, technology-driven accountability, and proven success at peer institutions.

Onboarding

Reusables.com provided a plug-and-play onboarding toolkit, including branded signage, digital assets, and communications templates.

“You sent us the files—it had the exact information we needed to share with our guests,” said a UCLA Dining manager.

Training sessions ensured all front- and back-of-house staff understood the scanning process, return logistics, and how to communicate the program to diners confidently.

Launch

The Greenhouse location hosted a launch-day activation event where staff introduced the new system and encouraged guests to “choose sustainability.” Students quickly adopted the program, drawn by the simplicity and convenience of reusable containers paired with UCLA’s strong sustainability culture.

“Students in their sustainability efforts—they don’t really need to be pushed. It’s kind of the way they move.”

Engagement & Education

UCLA promoted the program across campus through signage, email communications, and on-site ambassadors. The Reusables.com technology automatically reminded users via SMS and app notifications, ensuring containers were returned promptly and reuse loops remained strong.

Optimization & Growth

After a successful pilot, UCLA began exploring expansion to additional retail dining locations and cafés. The team continues to monitor program data provided by Reusables.com to optimize return logistics and measure cost savings over time.