IMPACT:

Single-use waste causes environmental harm
- High GHG emissions associated with the production and usage of these items, land pollution, and microplastic toxicity
SUPs are a major contributor to global waste
- When these products end up in a landfill or as litter in the general environment, they pose a serious threat to wildlife

According to a past DishZero vendor survey, Filistix SUB sold an average of 275 rice bowls per day prior to campus closure due to COVID-194.
Assuming all six of SUB’s most DishZero-compatible vendors sold a similar amount, 1,650 disposable dishes had the potential to be diverted each day. DishZero’s current start-up resources (inventory and washing capacity) allow for 114 available reusable dishes each day.
Assuming maximum usage of the program, DishZero would allow for approximately 2.6 kg of waste prevented each day, or roughly 427 kg each academic year.
The waste savings above represent a scenario where only 6.9% of all daily divertible containers are actually diverted with reusables.

DishZero is grant funded and covers all costs associated with the program in its entirety!