Taste of Ann Arbor: Putting Reuse Into Practice at a Downtown Community Event

The City of Ann Arbor partnered with Bold Reuse to bring reusable foodware to one of its largest outdoor community events, diverting more than 8,700 single-use items from the landfill.

What started as an introduction roughly 40 days before the event became a full-scale reuse program supporting 22 vendors, with more than 21,000 reusable food and drinkware items, 30 collection bins delivered to Ann Arbor, and Bold Reuse onsite for event setup.

The result was a successful reuse program that reduced waste while demonstrating what’s possible when teams move quickly, coordinate closely, and stay flexible as event needs take shape.

At a Glance

Event: Taste of Ann Arbor

Date: May 31, 2026

Location: Downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan

Foodware

• 14,000+ food boats

• 7,000+ cups + lids

• 30 collection bins

Program

• 22 participating vendors

• 4 Bold Reuse team members onsite

• 40 days from initial introduction to event day

Impact

8,764+ single-use items diverted
421 pounds of waste diverted from landfill

The Opportunity

Taste of Ann Arbor brings food and beverage vendors together throughout downtown Ann Arbor for a day centered around local food, community, and celebration.

With approximately 90,000 tasting tickets sold, the event represented a significant opportunity to reduce single-use packaging from food and beverage service and put reuse into practice at scale.

The goal was straightforward: reduce single-use waste by transitioning participating food and beverage vendors to reusable serviceware while creating an experience that worked for vendors, event organizers, and attendees.

From Planning to Event Day

With just 40 days between the initial introduction and the event, the City of Ann Arbor and Bold Reuse moved quickly to bring the reuse program together.

As planning progressed, the scope grew to support 22 vendors and more than 21,000 pieces of reusable foodware, along with 30 collection bins and onsite support.

Bold Reuse coordinated inventory across its markets, delivered everything to Ann Arbor five days before the event, and had a team onsite to prepare for event day.

The result was a fully operational reuse program ready to support vendors and attendees when Taste of Ann Arbor opened its doors.

Putting Reuse Into Practice

Bold Reuse provided reusable serviceware for participating vendors, including cups with lids and food boats. Bringing reuse to a large outdoor community event required coordination with the City, vendors, and Bold Reuse, from planning and delivery through the event itself.

The scope evolved significantly in the weeks leading up to the event, from an initial estimate of vendors to a final program supporting 22 vendors and more than 21,000 pieces of reusable serviceware.

Bold Reuse responded by coordinating inventory, preparing logistics, delivering the products to Ann Arbor, and providing onsite support to get the system ready for event day.

The ability of the teams to adapt as the program took shape was key to bringing the event together on a short timeline.

“The 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

The Results

8,764+ single-use items diverted from landfill

421 pounds of waste diverted from landfill

The program successfully integrated reusable serviceware across 22 vendors at a large outdoor community event, demonstrating that reuse can be deployed at scale even on a short timeline.

For the City of Ann Arbor and Bold Reuse, the event delivered measurable waste reduction while also providing valuable real-world experience that can inform future programs.

What We Learned

Successful reuse programs are built through practice, iteration, and attention to the details that shape how people interact with the system.

Taste of Ann Arbor offered several useful insights that can help strengthen future event programs.

• Make Reuse Recognizable

  One of the clearest takeaways from the event was the importance of how reusable serviceware looks and feels.

  The City team found that the cups used at Taste of Ann Arbor looked and felt similar to single-use cups people are accustomed to throwing away. In contrast, thicker cups previously used at another event felt more distinctly reusable.

  The takeaway: when reusable serviceware looks and feels reusable, it can help reinforce the behavior the system is asking of attendees.

• Choose Language Carefully

  The City of Ann Arbor distinguishes between “reusable” and “returnable.” In the City’s terminology, reusable products can be taken home and used again, while returnable products are intended to be returned.

  That distinction may have influenced some attendee behavior at Taste of Ann Arbor, with some cups and food boats potentially being taken home rather than returned.

  The experience highlighted how terminology can help set expectations and communicate clearly how a reuse system works.

• Build Flexibility into the Logistics

  Bringing reuse to a large outdoor event involves coordinating products, people, deliveries, collection, and pickup. As with any event operation, plans can shift along the way.

  Taste of Ann Arbor reinforced the value of building flexibility into the logistics and working with responsive partners who can adapt as needs change.

Reuse That Works in the Real World

Taste of Ann Arbor demonstrates what reuse can look like when it moves from planning into practice.

In 40 days, the City and Bold Reuse went from an initial introduction to a fully operational reuse program supporting 22 vendors, more than 21,000 pieces of reusable serviceware, 30 collection bins, and onsite support.

The program successfully diverted more than 8,700 single-use items and 421 pounds of waste from landfill.

Just as importantly, the experience demonstrated the value of preparation, collaboration, and adaptability when bringing reuse to a large-scale event on a short timeline.

For the City of Ann Arbor, Taste of Ann Arbor provided a practical way to reduce waste at a major community event while gaining insights that can inform future reuse efforts.

For Bold Reuse, it was another opportunity to demonstrate how reuse can be deployed quickly, supported operationally, and integrated into the infrastructure of community events.

40 days from introduction to event day.

22 vendors supported.

21,000+ reusable serviceware items deployed.

8,764+ single-use items diverted.

421 pounds of waste kept out of the landfill.