Full Cycle Reusable Takeout Container Program in O‘ahu

Zero Waste O‘ahu reduced marine debris from restaurants through a reusable takeout container program.

Type of Project: Prevention 

Region: Pacific Islands 

Project Dates: October 2020 - September 2022

Who was involved? 

Zero Waste O'ahu, in collaboration with Surfrider O'ahu and Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, and with the support of a NOAA Marine Debris Program, reduced land-based marine debris by encouraging the use of reusable takeout containers at restaurants. 

What was the project and why is it important?

Single-use food containers are a significant source of marine debris in Hawai'i. During the 2019 International Coastal Cleanup, food wrappers, beverage bottles, and food packaging were among the top ten items collected on Hawai'i beaches. 

The Full Cycle Takeout pilot project prevented marine debris from entering the waters and shorelines of Hawai'i through a reusable takeout container program. Project partners worked with restaurants on the north shore of O‘ahu, a popular destination for residents and tourists. Full Cycle Takeout distributed, collected, sanitized, stored, and redistributed clean containers to participating food vendors, eliminating the purchase and disposal of single-use containers. Project volunteers worked on-site, offering instruction and education to customers about the program and the system for returning the containers. The goal of this pilot project was to demonstrate to food vendors the reduced costs, reduced litter, accessibility, and benefits of reusable takeout containers.

What were the results? 

Through this project, Zero Waste O'ahu and partners successfully had 412 customers join the program, and prevented the use of 17,191 single-use containers. Six restaurants, a museum, multiple nongovernmental organizations, and Hawai'i Pacific University joined the program. Project partners also hosted 20 outreach and awareness events around the state that included community meetings, environmental tabling and various media releases. 

There were many lessons learned through this Full Cycle Take-Out pilot project. The requirements of the mobile app for container tracking and processing were a deterrent for many customers, especially the need for internet connection to use the app. It was difficult to get containers back at events that did not require a collateral exchange, however, working with event and cafeteria partners did offer more single-use container diversion for the amount of time invested. For these reasons the project has pivoted to focus mainly on supporting events.

For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Clearinghouse.