Reuse had its biggest summer yet. What started as a handful of proof-of-concept activations has become a multi-city operating model, and this summer, Bold Reuse put it to the test. Building on lessons from large-scale flagship events like West Seattle Summer Fest and NASCAR races, the team took a playbook built for scale and deployed it across five markets in a single season: Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, Chicago, and the Bay Area.

Across five U.S. markets, Bold Reuse supported over 90 events, ranging from global sporting celebrations and professional races to concerts, festivals, and community gatherings. 

The results show how reusable foodware can work for events across different audiences, venues, and formats when organizers have the right infrastructure and support behind them.

Reuse, Wherever the Event Takes Place

The scale of this summer's work is notable. The range of events may be even more telling - from large events to smaller community gatherings. 

• Seattle: World Cup fan events and watch parties, Woodland Park Zoo’s ZooTunes concert series, and a range of summer events like West Seattle Summer Fest.

• Portland: McMenamins Edgefield Summer concert series and recurring summer programming. 

• Kansas City: World Cup festivities and watch parties, KC Enrichment Festival, Kansas City Irish Fest

• Chicago: Movies in the Park at Gallagher Way, NASCAR events

• Michigan: NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway and Taste of Ann Arbor 

• Bay Area: Third Thursday on Ellis and corporate events

Across these markets, organizers brought reuse into sporting events, concerts, festivals, community celebrations, and neighborhood programming.

How We Made It Happen In Each City

A reusable cup or food container is only one part of a reuse system. Behind every successful event is an operational plan designed around the realities of the venue, vendors, attendees, and event team.

Bold Reuse provides a turnkey reuse system that includes:

• Reusable products: Cups, containers, and foodware selected for the event's needs

• Collection infrastructure: Return bins and signage that make it easy for attendees to return products

• Logistics: Product delivery, collection, transportation and inventory management

• Commercial washing: Collected products are professionally washed and returned to circulation

• On-site support: Bold Reuse team members help vendors and event teams get set up, manage collection, and troubleshoot issues throughout the event

Organizers work with the Bold Reuse team before the event to plan quantities, vendor needs, collection locations, and logistics. On event day, our team helps put that plan into action.

“[The Bold Reuse] Operations team was fabulous. 100% fabulous, and I don’t say that lightly. Zero complaints. They made it easy on us. I would work with them again in a second.” - Genevieve Rattray, Sustainability and Innovations Manager, City of Ann Arbor, on working with Bold Reuse for the Taste of Ann Arbor event 

The Impact Adds Up

More events. More reusable products in circulation. Less single-use packaging.

Across the summer's 90+ events, Bold Reuse and its event partners replaced 242,786 single-use products with reusable cups, containers, and foodware.

The programs achieved an average return rate of [INSERT RETURN RATE]%, meaning the vast majority of products distributed at these events were collected and returned to the reuse system for washing and other use.

Those numbers show the impact that can build when reuse is integrated across an event calendar, supported by the infrastructure to keep products in circulation.

What This Means for the Future of Events

For years, conversations about event sustainability have often focused on individual events: Is it possible for reuse to work at events? Will reusables disrupt our event operations? 

This summer offered a broader view.

Across five cities, organizers used the same fundamental reuse model across sporting events, concerts, festivals, community celebrations, and neighborhood programming. The audiences changed. The events and vendors adapted. The scale changed. The infrastructure and operational support stayed consistent.

For event organizers, that means reuse can become another part of the event operation. One that is planned, supported, and ready to scale.

Bring Reuse to Your Next Event

Planning a festival, concert, sporting event, community gathering, or event series? Bold Reuse can help you build a reuse program around your event, from reusable foodware and logistics to collection, washing and on-site support. Reach out to us at sales@boldreuse.com to get started.