Usefull

10/12/2026

A student's idea helped bring plastic-free takeout to CU Boulder.

Resource Recycling shares the story behind University of Colorado Boulder's new USEFULL program, from student advocacy to the launch of reusable stainless steel containers at Alferd Packer Grill and SEEC Café. It's a great example of how students and campus teams can work together to make waste reduction part of everyday dining.

Read more: https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2026/10/05/uc-boulder-launches-dining-reuse-program/

A partnership with Usefull brings reusable, stainless steel containers to university dining spots.

10/06/2026

Plastic is often discussed as a waste problem. But questions about plastic and human health are becoming harder to ignore.

CNN 's latest reporting looks at chemicals found in everyday plastics—including food-contact materials—and what researchers are learning about potential exposure. There are still important questions to answer. In the meantime, there's a simple step organizations can consider: when durable, reusable alternatives exist, reduce unnecessary plastic food contact.

That's one more reason we're committed to plastic-free reuse.

Plastics riddled with high-risk chemicals are in clothes, food, toys and common household items, a new investigation revealed.

10/01/2026

We’re heading to the AASHE Conference & Expo.

If you’re thinking about plastic-free dining, reuse, waste reduction or what the next generation of campus sustainability should look like, come see us at Booth 20.

We’d especially love to hear your thoughts on a question Alison Cove recently raised: Should plastic-free dining become a more distinct benchmark within sustainability rating programs?

Let's chat.

https://www.aashe.org/conference/

09/28/2026

University of Colorado Boulder is debuting the latest in campus reusables— and in just over a month, they’ve saved more than 50,000 single-use containers from the landfill.

Here’s how it works: When they get to the register, customers scan out reusable containers to their account using either the USEFULL app or the tap of a credit card. Customers can choose to dine-in or take out—with the option to keep the containers for up to three days. To return, they just drop the reusables back off at a USEFULL return station. The containers are collected by Boulder dining to be professionally washed and used again.

If your team is at NACAS C3X in Chicago this week and want to see how plastic-free reuse could work on your campus, come see us at Booth 638.

09/24/2026

🍽️ From electric Buff Buses to eliminating single-use plastics from campus beverage services, CU Boulder continues to make changes to reduce waste. Reusable takeout containers are one more step in that effort. Learn how USEFULL works and what to know: https://bit.ly/4dnjuKr

09/24/2026

🌱 Takeout at CU Boulder is getting more sustainable.

📲 USEFULL reusable takeout containers are coming to participating dining locations! Download the free USEFULL app before your first use and get the details: https://bit.ly/4bT5ozL

09/23/2026

Plastic-free reuse is now part of campus dining at University of Colorado Boulder.

The University of Colorado Boulder is the first Colorado campus to launch USEFULL, introducing our stainless-steel reusable takeout system at Alferd Packer Grill and SEEC Café.

The launch also includes our new checkout and return stations, making it easier to integrate reuse into the way students already eat on campus.

We're proud to partner with CU Boulder Campus Dining & Hospitality and the Environmental Center on the program.

Learn more: https://www.usefull.us/university-of-colorado-boulder-becomes-first-colorado-campus-to-launch-plastic-free-reuse-with-usefull/

09/21/2026

A useful (!) resource for understanding the materials that come into contact with our food. The Food Packaging Forum breaks down chemical migration, material complexity and why the properties of different food contact materials matter.

Read more: https://foodpackagingforum.org/resources/chemical-safety-of-food-contact-materials

09/11/2026

That paper coffee cup may not be as plastic-free as it looks. New research from the The University of Queensland found that single-use paper cups lined with both conventional polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable PLA released micro- and nanoplastic particles when exposed to hot liquid. In the study, PLA-lined cups released significantly more.

The findings reinforce an important point: replacing one type of single-use material with another doesn't necessarily eliminate the underlying problem. That's one reason we think coffee can be such a practical place for campuses to start with plastic-free reuse in their retail food service.

USEFULL's coffee program replaces disposable cups with durable, trackable stainless-steel cups designed for campus retail operations. Students get the convenience of a to-go cup, while campuses address disposable waste and recurring packaging costs and reduce plastic food contact at the same time.

Sometimes the simplest way to rethink single-use is to start with something students already do every day: get coffee.

Read the research via Phys.org: https://lnkd.in/gNGgc2dn

Learn about USEFULL's coffee program: https://lnkd.in/g9KnnnKB

08/31/2026

What’s the business case for plastic-free campus dining?

Lower recurring disposable costs. Less waste. Support for sustainability goals. A better takeout experience. And technology that makes reuse easier to manage.

A new article from Illumia looks at why more campuses are considering plastic-free reuse and how the Illumia + USEFULL integration can help make it work operationally.

Read the article: https://illumiatech.com/resources/blog/illumia/2026/07/28/the-business-case-for-plastic-free-campus-dining

Dustin Ramsdell