Switching to reuse is a journey that requires planning. 

Start by asking:

• What has your business already done to reduce plastic?

• Do you have a sustainability policy? 

• If so, does it have a section that talks about single-use plastics?

• What do your customers think about sustainability?

• Do you currently survey them about this? If you don’t, this is a great place to start. We’ve developed a Visitor Survey Template to help.

• Who do you need to work with to plan, procure, and roll-out reusables?

How you implement your reusables project will depend on your access to infrastructure and your ability to upgrade facilities.

There is a reusable solution for every situation. The initiative you select will depend on:

• Your access to power. Facilities like dishwashers require access to electricity. 

• Access to fresh water. Similarly, fresh water is required for both wash-up and water refill stations. There are a range of options available for experiences with limited access to fresh water and/or taps, such as portable water stations.

• Storage capacity. Do you have space available to store clean reusable cups and/or foodware? Other things to consider is ensuring any storage areas are able to withstand any conditions specific to your experience/facility, for example - movement, salt spray, humidity and adverse weather conditions.

Going plastic free is a team effort. Having the right people onboard will be key to your success.

At a minimum, have a representative from each of the following departments on your project committee:

• Management

• Head office (where applicable)

• Catering

• Training and/or HR

• Procurement and finance

• Waste management

• Maintenance and facilities

• Communications and marketing

• Sustainability

Once you have a committee, you can hold an initial planning meeting. This is where you explore initial ideas, agree on high-level goals, and assign roles and responsibilities. 

To assist with discussion topics see the Planning Meeting Checklist.

After your initial planning meeting you will have the basis for your Action Plan. This document will guide you through your program and keep you on track.

You should hold regular meetings as you progress through your reusable switches. Depending on how your project goes, you may need to adjust your timelines, strategy and plan - this is to be expected. Stay flexible and keep focused on your goal.

Budget

How much money do you have to put towards purchasing reusable cups and foodware? 

To estimate your budget, you will need to consider things like:

• Quality of the reusable items. Stainless steel, glass and ceramic items are higher quality but cost more than reusable plastic.

• How many reusable items you need.

• The size of the reusable items you need.

• The cost of wash-up facilities that are the correct size for your business and number of reusable items you will get through on a daily basis.

• If you’re going to be hiring reusables or commercial wash-up facilities, the ongoing cost involved with this.

• Wages for any additional staff you need to hire.

Be sure to document and track this in your Action Plan.

Timeline

You should start planning your reusable switches at least 6-12 months in advance. When you factor in research, planning, procurement, and training, you will need as much time as possible.

Now that you have a clear Action Plan, it’s time to get the approvals applicable to your organisation.

Once you have approval you can move on to Action 2 - Data Collection.