Reusables 101
Reusables 101 outlines the basics of reusable transport packaging: what it is, how it works, and why the switch makes sense for many businesses.
ANG Newspaper
ANG used a StopWaste grant to purchase reusable plastic pallets that prevent 37 tons of waste and save $46,000 a year.
Recycling Case Studies
StopWaste has helped hundreds of organizations in over 45 different industries lower their operating costs and protect the environment. Learn about a few of our recycling assistance success stories from the case studies below.
Tesla Motors, Inc.
Tesla Motors designs and manufactures electric vehicles. At their plant in Fremont they build the Model S, an all electric sedan that seats up to 7 people and was Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year. The car company worked closely with StopWaste’s Use Reusables program to switch to reusable windshield racks, a project that eliminates about 100 tons of cardboard waste a year. Since the new racks hold numerous windshields and can be worked straight from the line, they improve the efficiency of Tesla’s manufacturing process.
VF Outdoor, Inc.
VF Outdoor, a division of VF Corp. that focuses on outdoor and athletic apparel, recently moved three of its leading brands, JanSport, lucy and The North Face, to a new headquarters in Alameda. While moving more than 470 employees, the company avoided using an estimated 11,000 cardboard boxes needed for the move by renting reusable moving crates instead. Comparable in cost to traditional cardboard moving boxes, this solution also required significantly less labor. This commitment to reducing waste is also part of the ongoing operations at the Alameda campus.
Reduce Food Packaging Waste
Are you tired of packaging waste filling up your garbage can? What about all the trash that comes with take-out food orders? Especially single-use packaging items like cups, lids, straws, utensils, takeout containers, and bags, often end up as litter, polluting the environment for much longer than they are in use. It doesn’t have to be this way! In Alameda County, reusable packaging systems are on the rise, and your support is needed to make them successful!
Preventing Waste for Businesses and Institutions
While recycling is great for a company’s bottom line, preventing waste by reducing and reusing is even better. By stopping waste before it starts you can reap more cost savings than recycling alone, and improve efficiency at the same time. In addition, by rooting out waste, your organization shows it cares for the community and the environment, and helps make Alameda County a great place to live and work.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, San Leandro
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company replaced cardboard boxes with a fleet of reusable totes for internal distribution of its chocolate products. Besides preventing 350 tons of soiled cardboard waste each year, this eliminates the purchasing cost for cardboard boxes as well as disposal fees, and even reduces chocolate breakage.
Peerless Coffee saves $100K/yr by reducing Mylar packaging waste
Peerless Coffee & Tea Company in Oakland purchased computerized packaging equipment to reduce expensive Mylar packaging waste, previously generated by their coffee bagging equipment. This waste prevention effort has resulted in savings of over $100,000 annually. Peerless also outfitted one of their route delivery trucks with reusable totes instead of disposable cardboard cartons.
Reusable Transport Packaging
The StopWaste “Use Reusables” Campaign offers educational resources, expert advice, and grants to help businesses make the switch to reusable transport packaging. Transport packaging includes pallets, boxes, crates and other containers used to ship ingredients, parts and products between producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
Related Resources
Learn how reusables can help your organization reduce solid waste and GHG emissions, while reducing disposal costs and improving worker safety.
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