CASE STUDY
The Glen at Scripps Ranch
Resident Demand for Plastic-Free Takeout Leads to 40% Packaging Cost Savings
Residents at The Glen at Scripps Ranch wanted the convenience of takeout without all the plastic that came with it. The dining team wanted a better experience for residents and a way out of rapidly rising disposable costs.
Together, those priorities led The Glen to replace disposable takeout containers with premium stainless steel reuseables, reducing takeout packaging costs by 40% in the process.
SNAPSHOT
Resident-Driven
Plastic-free takeout directly addresses concerns raised by residents
No New Resident Technology
No app download or new technology required for residents
40%
Reduction in takeout packaging costs
Plastic-Free Foodware
Durable stainless steel replaces disposable plastic and compostable takeout containers
Premium Experience
Insulated stainless steel helps retain temperature and gives takeout a more substantial, intentional feel
Built for Senior Living
Customized around The Glen’s existing dining operations and resident routines
THE CHALLENGE
Residents wanted less plastic. The dining team needed a better takeout model.
Takeout is an important part of dining at The Glen. But residents had become increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of plastic waste that accompanied that convenience.
Several residents brought their concerns directly to the dining team, citing both the environmental footprint of disposable takeout and concerns about microplastics and plastic food contact.
The dining team was confronting another problem: cost.
According to Food & Beverage Director Steve Floyd, in just 12 months The Glen experienced a 28% increase in the cost of single-use plastic containers and a 35% increase in compostables.
The challenge wasn’t simply finding another disposable container. The Glen wanted to rethink takeout altogether.
“The increased expense has made it impossible for us to justify spending so much on what just becomes trash. USEFULL just makes sense.”
Steve Floyd | F&B Director, The Glen at Scripps Ranch
THE SOLUTION
A plastic-free reuse program built around the needs of The Glen.
Senior living communities don’t all operate the same way. Their dining programs, residents, workflows and technology can be very different.
Rather than asking The Glen to adapt to a standard reuse program, USEFULL worked with its dining team to build a system around the community’s existing operations.
The technology operates largely behind the scenes. Dining staff associate containers with residents through a simple scan-based checkout process, while USEFULL tracks inventory, manages returns and provides reporting.
The program includes:
- A variety of stainless steel container types and sizes
- Double-walled insulated options
- Easy-to-use silicone lids
- Hands-on implementation and staff training
- Simple scan-based checkout for dining staff
- Inventory and return tracking
- Program reporting and impact metrics
- No new technology required of residents
THE RESIDENT EXPERIENCE
Better takeout without changing the routine.
This was important: plastic-free takeout couldn’t come at the expense of convenience.
Residents don’t have to download an app or learn a new system. They simply place their takeout order and receive their meal in a USEFULL container.
Instead of disposable plastic or compostable foodware, residents receive durable stainless steel containers designed to retain temperature and keep meals fresh. The result is takeout that feels more consistent with the premium, hospitality-driven dining experience residents expect from The Glen.
It also gives residents an opportunity to reduce routine plastic food contact, an increasingly important consideration as awareness and research around microplastics continue to grow.
THE RESULTS
Plastic-free takeout that works for residents and operators
- 40% reduction in takeout packaging costs
- Zero new resident technology required
- Plastic-free stainless steel foodware for takeout
- Resident-driven program that responds to what residents asked for
The financial result is particularly important.
Instead of continually purchasing products designed to become waste after one meal, The Glen now circulates durable containers through the community. And the operating environment is especially well-suited to making that work.
[ The Glen]
Why Senior Living?
A natural environment for reuse
Senior living communities have an advantage that many other dining environments don’t: residents live, dine and return within the same community.
Combine that with centralized foodservice and dishwashing, and communities have many of the ingredients needed to keep durable foodware circulating rather than continually purchasing and discarding single-use containers.
The Glen shows that the opportunity goes beyond waste reduction.
Plastic-free reuse can support resident preferences, wellness, hospitality, predictable operations and cost control at the same time.
And it doesn’t require residents to change the way they order their meals.
“USEFULL looked at our statistics and gave us a proposal and I didn’t even wait to talk to our [plastics] committee. I went to the director of food and beverage and we jumped up and down because we thought USEFULL was the right solution for The Glen. I couldn’t be happier with this outcome.“
— Susan Boie, Resident Council Member, The Glen at Scripps Ranch
