Grantee Research Project Results
Reducing Recycling Volumes through Efficient Reuse
EPA Contract Number: 68HERC24C0024Title: Reducing Recycling Volumes through Efficient Reuse
Investigators: Mueller, Ulrike
Small Business: Recirclable LLC
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2023 through May 30, 2024
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2024) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
This project will develop an innovative approach to expand reuse in restaurant takeout and reduce the number of single use containers entering waste and recycling streams. To increase reuse adoption, we aim to make borrowing as quick and easy as order payment. To accomplish this, we will develop simple and affordable reuse terminals by re-purposing older generation NFC-enabled technology. The approach aims to tackle single use waste, as well as extend the useful life of older generation electronics.
Recirclable is dedicated to reducing waste and recycling burdens through reuse and already has traction with 10 food service providers (multiple restaurants, a university and prepared food service counters) in New England. Customers download a mobile application and set up a free Recirclable account. For convenience, customers can return to any participating location. Recirclable charges a penalty for non-returned containers, rather than an upfront deposit or membership fee. This approach works well for many customers: We have a high repeat customer rate and a container return rate greater than 98%. We have saved thousands of single use takeout containers from the waste and recycling streams.
Yet we are just scratching the surface: According to Upstream Solutions, nearly 1 trillion disposable food service products are used each year in the United States. Further to the volume, the variety of single use containers creates consumer confusion and cross-contamination of waste, recycling and compost streams. Reuse is key to reducing this significant burden caused by single use products. Further, Recirclable's reusables can be returned to the manufacturer at the end of their long life for recycling into new reusable food containers. This further reduces the burden on material recovery facilities (MRFs) and municipal solid waste (MSW) systems. The transition from single use to reuse presents an estimated market opportunity of about 50 Billion USO each year.
Through experience, we know an application download adds friction: it requires time and network bandwidth, presenting a barrier to adoption by time-pressed customers or those who face technology challenges. Armed with this knowledge, we intend to provide a more efficient process, repurposing aged technology to enable simple and affordable reuse checkout terminals at restaurants. We believe this innovative approach will not only contribute to increasing reusable takeout container adoption but also help to reduce the over 5 billion mobile phones which become electronic waste each year according to the International Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum.
Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.