{"id":30,"date":"2026-01-06T15:20:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.umaine.edu\/reuseme\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2026-02-05T15:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:30:43","slug":"economic-benefits","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/reuseme\/economic-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Economic Benefits of Reuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reuse is the smart financial choice. <\/strong>U.S. food and beverage businesses spend $24 billion<\/a> each year on disposable serviceware, most of which could be switched to reusables. Shifting to reusables where possible could save U.S. businesses about $5 billion annually<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survey of Bar Harbor, Bath, and South Portland food and beverage businesses<\/a> found that respondents collectively spent 588 labor hours managing disposable packaging<\/strong> in the average month, including ordering, inventorying, assembling, and storing disposable packaging units. Bar Harbor businesses reported spending an average of $2,039<\/strong> per month on packaging procurement; Bath businesses reported spending $736<\/strong>; and in South Portland, businesses spent $1,300<\/strong>. Businesses in each community also reported spending an average of $420<\/strong>, $245<\/strong>, and $710<\/strong> per month, respectively, on waste management, including garbage, recycling, and composting services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small businesses can save a net average of $3,000 to $22,000<\/strong> annually when they transition some disposables to reusables, as demonstrated by 166 case studies from ReThink Disposable<\/a>. While initial investments are needed to transition to reusable products, cost savings for businesses are usually realized within only a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing reusable packaging can save businesses time and money<\/strong> by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n