Clemson University

Key Results

In the first six months after ReusePass launch, Clemson experienced:

• 97% average return rate
• 34K+ single-user containers saved from the landfill
• $13K savings on single-use packaging costs
• A 3-day window from container check-out to return

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Topanga! The ReusePass installation process was relatively seamless, and the main dashboard is very user-friendly. I know if I ever have any questions, I can always reach out and expect a timely response. Overall, the team and interface are great to work with."
‍– Sarah Reeves, Aramark Marketing Manager

Introduction

Clemson University is a public institution with a robust student body of ~24K undergraduate and ~6K graduate students, making Clemson the second-largest South Carolinian university (based on enrollment). Clemson and dining partner Aramark wanted a reusables program that would help them meet broader sustainability goals and optimize dining expenditure, with a high return rate and strong student engagement.

Problem

Clemson University had already prioritized reuse on campus with an analog-token system, but they weren’t seeing the results they needed. They were frustrated by the low return rate and lack of student engagement, and didn’t feel that they had sufficient visibility into program performance and reusable container lifecycles. The Clemson team wanted to continue their commitment to reuse, but knew that they needed a results-driven partner who would give them the tools to grow student excitement and awareness of the program.

Solution

The industry-leading return rates achieved by ReusePass customers was a big draw for Clemson. They also loved the Topanga team’s commitment to student engagement: automated SMS messaging and pre-made marketing assets to deploy across dining locations and on university marketing channels helped build student buy-in for the program.

The Clemson team was confident that their dining operators would also have a better experience with Topanga; ReusePass was the first-to-market solution with RFID technology for automated container scanning and tracking.

Program Design and Setup

The Topanga team helped Clemson strategize their ideal program setup during virtual planning sessions, identifying the biggest areas for operational improvements without disrupting existing dining team processes.

"I love that the QR code is on my phone and easy to access. It makes checking out a to-go container much faster!"
– Dillon Finley, Clemson Sustainability Intern

To reduce the potential burden on the dining team, Clemson installed RFID readers back-of-house for smooth container scan-in and Topanga’s mobile ScanApp is used when checking out containers to students. By letting RFID do the heavy scan-in lifting, the time between each container return to the next check-out is also shortened, reducing any potential operational bottlenecks that could contribute to a negative diner experience.

Program Launch

Aligned with the start of the new 2024-25 school year, Clemson launched ReusePass in three residential dining locations as an optional program with no late container return fees. The dining locations use a pay to enter model. The 9x9 3-compartment reusable containers used in those dining locations are from Clemson’s previous inventory, which minimized new program costs given ReusePass’s container-agnostic design. For launch, RFID tracking tags were applied to the existing containers. Clemson utilized Topanga’s pre-made marketing signage to grow student excitement around the program and alert them of the transition from the token-based program. Using pre-made signage allowed the dining team to focus all their attention on getting team members trained and ready for a successful launch!

Results

Within the first six months of ReusePass adoption, Clemson was thrilled to finally see the results they had long wanted from a reusables program. They maintained a 97% average container return rate and saved ~13K in singe-use packaging costs by keeping 34K+ single-use containers out of landfill.

"ReusePass has allowed us to be more successful in maintaining a sustainable reusable program that resonates with students."
– Dwayne Pursley, Aramark Director of Operations

Thanks to ReusePass’s automated SMS reminders and user-friendly site where students can track container due dates, students only kept each container for three days on average before dropping it back off - no late fees necessary!

Student buy-in has been another winning aspect of the program: one semester, the Operations Intern for the Clemson Marketing team ran ReusePass tabling sessions and conducted a student satisfaction survey to see how the dining population felt about the transition away from tokens (spoiler alert: they were pleased). We love to see passionate students spreading the news about ReusePass on their own campuses!