Scaling up reusable container systems through city-wide centralized collection and washing
Expanding reusable takeout container systems using a returnable model may be accomplished through a city-wide centralized collection, washing, and redistribution system. We constructed an LCA model and assessed primary energy, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), water consumption, end-of-life waste, and cost for a proposed system in Galveston, TX. We examine the effects of varying operational scale in a centralized system against decentralized and single-use alternatives. We also examined how material choice affects impact comparisons for reusable and single-use options. Both large-scale centralized and decentralized washing reduced each cup's life cycle GHGs by 51 %–63 % and increased costs by 2x–2.5x compared to single use. A small-scale (31 FSEs) centralized system increased each cup's life cycle GHGs and costs by 170 % relative to the large-scale (170 FSE's) centralized system. These results highlight that centralized reusables can offer similar GHG benefits to those in decentralized systems, but centralization requires large-scale implementation.
Parametric modeling, Life cycle assessment, Reusable packaging, Centralized system, Greenhouse gas emissions, Life cycle cost
Hitt, Christian, Gregory Keoleian, and Rahim Rasool. “Scaling up Reusable Container Systems through City-Wide Centralized Collection and Washing.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 215 (April 2025): 108154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108154. CSS25-02.