Green Scene - Managing Your Event's Waste

This guide provides examples of reusable foodware substitutes for disposable products that contribute to the waste generated by a typical food service business.

Franciscan Charities, located in Newark, New Jersey serves hot lunches five days a week to the most vulnerable. The organization implemented the ReThink Disposable program, switching 100% of their disposable foodware to reusable for their dine-in guests, resulting in $47,973 total annual net cost savings, 936,000 disposable items reduced per year, and 10,750 pounds of annual waste reduction.

Minnesota plastic bag recycling is estimated to be less than 10%. Clean Water Action is working to remove the plastic bag ban preemption in Minnesota statute, which will return local control around this issue back to where it belongs — with each city and town in Minnesota.