Circular solution reusable catering tableware

The material/product chain of this project to be changed is the use of disposable tableware in catering services and in many corporate restaurants. For convenience, till present day caterers, takeaway restaurants, cafeteria use a lot of disposable tableware: cutlery, plates, cups, meal and drink containers, boxes. The estimated volume of take-away food packaging in the Netherlands that is annually being littered is 9,600 tons. Participants in this project are YoYo.BoostReuse the reuse solution provider, a catering company, a tableware provider, a recycling company and a plastic materials expert.

The aim of this project is the development and implementation of a 100% circular solution, replacing all single use tableware and meal containers in catering services by reusable alternatives, thereby going far beyond the Dutch directive kunststofproducten voor eenmalig gebruik (not only meal and drink containers):

• where no more disposable tableware disappears in the garbage bin and finally in the waste incineration, or is thrown away on the street, the beach, the park, no more disposable tableware and meal packaging are produced, thus saving material resources,
• to co-develop, test and share know-how of reusable tableware for catering services, to be washed for reuse and recycled when worn out, for use in environments such as offices, workplaces, schools, events, festivals etc.,
• to implement the holistic approach: the whole life-cycle of the reusable tableware, from start of life (production, environmental impact) to end of life (how it's used, washed, recycled).
• to demonstrate the Implementation Method: the excellent execution of a comprehensive service model, making sure the return system is successfully implemented, users are committed, CO2 savings regularly monitored and all end-of-life products are recycled.