The Future of Campus Dining Is Reusable
Walk through any campus dining hall during the lunch rush and you’ll see hundreds of meals heading out the door. But once those meals are finished, what happens to the containers?
For decades, disposable containers have been the standard, with most being thrown away after a single meal. Today, colleges and universities are rethinking that approach as they work to reduce waste, meet ambitious sustainability goals, and respond to growing student expectations.
The shift isn’t simply about replacing one type of container with another. It’s about creating dining systems that reduce waste, improve operations, and make sustainability part of everyday campus life.
Why Reusable Dining Programs Are Gaining Momentum
The rise of reusable container programs reflects changing expectations across higher education. Students, dining teams, and campus leaders are all looking for practical ways to reduce waste and support sustainability goals.
1. Students Expect More from Campus Sustainability
Students want sustainability to be part of their everyday campus experience. Reusable dining programs turn institutional commitments into visible daily action, making reuse a natural part of campus life.
At Montclair State University, a Fill it Forward pilot launched in November 2023 has grown into a campus-wide initiative. More than 25,000 reuses have prevented over 750 lbs of waste from entering landfills while making sustainability a visible part of everyday dining.
2. Institutions Are Raising Sustainability Goals
As colleges work toward ambitious waste reduction and climate targets, reusable container programs help reduce single-use packaging and support broader sustainability strategies.
Hamilton College, for example, introduced Fill it Forward in Fall 2024 as part of its Sustainability Action Plan and goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The program complements broader efforts to reduce waste, improve food systems, and make more sustainable purchasing decisions.
3. Reuse Improves the Dining Experience
Reusable containers offer a more durable, higher-quality alternative to disposable packaging, but convenience is what drives participation.
Fill it Forward user surveys consistently show that ease of use is one of the Borrow program’s most valued features. By making it simple to borrow, use, and return containers, campuses can create a dining experience that’s both more sustainable and more convenient.
The Challenges—and How Campuses Overcome Them
Switching to reusable containers requires planning, and many institutions share similar questions before launching a program.
How will inventory be managed? Will students return containers? How much additional work will this create for dining staff?
These are valid concerns, but they’re also challenges that many campuses have already solved.
Return rates are often the biggest hesitation. Yet when returning containers is simple and convenient, participation remains high. At Kennesaw State University, Fill it Forward’s Borrow program has achieved a 96% container return rate, demonstrating what’s possible with a well-designed system.
The key isn’t simply introducing reusable containers—it’s implementing a program that integrates seamlessly into existing dining operations while making participation easy for students.
“Fill it Forward has been a game changer for our operations! We have seen a significant increase in box return rates and there has been lots of positive feedback from students since our launch. The students enjoy the convenience of using the mobile app and the fact they can see in real time the impact their participation in the program has on the environment. The Fill it Forward team has been a pleasure to work with, they are always enthusiastic and quick to help when questions arise. The streamlined process of this program and customer service has made for an incredibly successful and stress-free experience. We can’t wait to continue our partnership!”
Katelyn Boyd,
Meal Plan Operations Manager,
University Dining at Kennesaw State University
How Borrow Makes the Transition to Reuse Simple
Every campus is different, but the challenges of launching a reusable container program are remarkably similar.
Borrow combines technology, student engagement, and dedicated support to simplify the transition for both dining teams and students.
Dining operators can manage inventory, monitor participation, and measure environmental impact through the Reuse365 Borrow Dashboard, giving campuses the data they need to evaluate program performance and demonstrate results.
For students, the Fill it Forward app makes borrowing and returning containers straightforward while allowing them to track their personal environmental impact. Ready-to-use marketing materials and dedicated support help campuses build awareness, encourage participation, and launch with confidence.
If you’d like a closer look at the technology and support behind the program, explore our blog Why Schools Choose Fill it Forward’s Borrow Reusable Container Program.
The Opportunity Ahead
Reusable container programs are quickly becoming part of the new standard for campus dining.
Across North America, colleges and universities are proving that reuse can reduce waste, improve operations, and create a better dining experience without adding unnecessary complexity.
Georgia State University is one example. Its commitment to reuse has earned national recognition while demonstrating how a well-designed program can deliver meaningful environmental impact and engage an entire campus community.
As more institutions move away from single-use packaging, reusable systems are becoming less of an experiment and more of an expectation.
Whether your goal is reducing waste, advancing sustainability commitments, or modernizing campus dining, reusable container programs offer a practical path forward.