We recently sat down with Suzanne Paltz to talk about Georgia State University’s experience with Borrow and how the program has transformed their to-go dining operations. From reducing container loss and operational costs to creating a more seamless student experience, Suzanne shared how implementing a structured reusable container program helped bring consistency, convenience, and measurable impact to campus dining.

The Challenge: Bringing Structure to To-Go Dining

Like many campuses post-pandemic, the university saw a surge in demand for grab-and-go dining. But without a structured program in place, managing reusable containers became difficult.

Students on unlimited meal plans were given containers without a way to track usage or returns, leading to excess purchasing, misplaced containers, and operational inefficiencies. At the same time, the dining team wanted to maintain a convenient, high-value experience for students.

The Solution: Borrow

By implementing Borrow, the university introduced a simple, trackable reusable container program that brought consistency to its to-go dining program.

The Borrow dashboard in Reuse365 allowed the team to monitor inventory, streamline returns, and encourage responsible participation by limiting students to one active container every 24 hours.

The impact was immediate. Single-use container purchasing dropped by 50% per semester—helping reduce both operational costs and waste.

While sustainability wasn’t the original motivation for launching the program, it quickly became one of its most valuable outcomes. What started as an operational improvement evolved into a visible sustainability initiative embraced by both staff and students.

Operational Impact and Adoption

Because students were already using mobile credentials across campus, integrating Borrow into existing habits felt natural. Scanning QR codes to check containers in and out became a seamless extension of the dining experience.

Although there was a brief learning curve at the start of each semester, the dining team found the program and system easy to manage and simple for students to understand. Since the initial rollout, Borrow has become a routine part of campus dining operations.

Recommendations for Other Institutions

The university now sees Borrow as more than a sustainability initiative—it’s a competitive advantage that enhances the overall meal plan experience for students.

For institutions considering a reusable container program, the team recommends seeing the system in action firsthand through campus visits or live demonstrations. They also highlighted the reporting tools, impact metrics, and visual data tracking as standout features that help bring the program’s results to life.