CASE STUDY

Using Re:Dish to Reduce Waste and Foster Environmental Stewardship at Walpole Public Schools

Introduction

Walpole Public Schools near Boston, MA sought solutions to reduce waste, reinforce sustainability values daily, and encourage students to be environmental stewards. To achieve this, the district partnered with Re:Dish to transition from single-use to reusable packaging in their middle school and one elementary school cafeteria. After two months of success, Re:Dish’s tailored reuse solutions are now being rolled out to the remaining 4 schools in the district.

Challenge

Walpole Public Schools, serving nearly 3700 students daily, faced escalating costs and environmental concerns with their use of compostable trays. Transitioning to reusable trays was imperative, yet the school’s existing kitchen facilities were already at capacity with the washing of pots and pans. The district required a seamlessly integrated solution that would not only enhance its sustainability initiatives but also be readily adopted by the community without disrupting daily cafeteria operations.

Solution

Reusable trays in use at Walpole Public Schools, illustrating their commitment to sustainability.

"By partnering with Re:Dish, we’re helping to reduce waste and fostering a culture of sustainability across our schools. Together, we can make a real difference in the environment and educate the next generation of global citizens."

- Maria Hall, Director of School Nutrition, Walpole Public Schools

To address its sustainability challenges, Walpole Public Schools implemented a tailored solution with Re:Dish for their middle school and one elementary school. The elementary school adopted durable trays, while the middle school switched to Re:Dish’s reusable plates. This hybrid approach leveraged Re:Dish’s comprehensive washing services alongside its Reusables Program.

Key reasons Re:Dish was selected:

Set per-use fee, no upfront costs – Simple, affordable, and sustainable.
Delivers Tangible Environmental Impact – Helps reduce the waste generated by single-use
packaging.
Demonstrates Commitment – Reinforces leadership in sustainability.
Empowers Students – Engage and educate students on sustainability through hands-on participation.

Results

Currently, the Wapole Middle School plus one elementary school save ~600 paper plates and ~500 paper trays from landfill every day.

Within two months the Re:Dish program was extended to three additional elementary schools and the Walpole High School, the district expects to divert 270,000 trays and 126,000 plates from landfill annually.

Reusable dishware in use at Walpole Public Schools, illustrating their commitment to sustainability.

Get in Touch

Ready to bring reusable solutions to your institution? Contact us today