Nearly 1 trillion disposable food service products are used each year in the U.S., weighing nearly 9 million tons, according to Upstream, a reuse advocacy organization. Based on conversations with local food cart lots, The Environmental Center in Bend says one lot can produce 9 cubic yards of waste per week. To take a bite out of that mountain of trash, a movement is underway to lessen the use of single-use plastic takeout food containers and to transition to reusable ones. The Environmental Center is in the initial stages of gathering public input and information, with the goal of launching a reusable container pilot program by next April.
Kavi Chokshi, the Rethink Waste Program manager at the Environmental Center, says he had hoped to launch the program in 2025, after receiving a grant from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Reduce, Reuse, Reimaging Materials Management program.
“Since April, we’ve been navigating staffing and capacity with launching a new initiative, while managing existing program work.” He says many restaurants are supportive but want more information.
In 2023, Oregon lawmakers passed Senate Bill 545 which established rules allowing the use of reusable food containers. It took effect in June 2024. While customers can bring their own containers to take home leftovers, creating a universal program involving multiple restaurants is complicated. Dozens of programs involving reusable food containers exist nationwide. Restaurants from Boston to Seattle are participating in programs that vary on how they’re structured. For instance, Ashland’s Rogue To Go charges a one-time fee of $10 for a token that can be exchanged for a reusable takeout container at a restaurant. Participants later drop off rinsed containers at a participating restaurant for another token or sanitized container. The Reuse Ottawa program allows customers to borrow a reusable container at no charge as long as it’s returned to a participating location within 14 days. After that, a $10 fee is charged and can be refunded once the container is returned. Those programs are known as open-loop systems involving multiple venues. There are also closed loop systems such as Bold Reuse in Portland which operate only in specific locations like the Moda Center and schools.
In designing the Bend program, Chokshi says they’ve looked at other programs, have attended summits and toured centralized wash hubs in other cities.
“One thing we’ve learned,” he says, “is the importance of choosing a container and process that works for both businesses and users. We’re planning to assemble a broad stakeholder advisory group to go through the tradeoffs in determining what works best for our community.”
The Environmental Center has both an online business survey and one for general public input through Dec. 31.
“Our program is starting with a reusable container program [open loop], but we’ll then pilot reusable dishware at food cart lots, and we’re also working with partners at the [Hayden Homes] Amphitheater and Deschutes County Solid Waste amongst others to see how we can bring a region-wide reusable serviceware system to our region in a financially sustainable way,” says Chokshi.
He says the City of Bend and Deschutes County’s Department of Solid Waste have both been supportive and helped write letters of support for the state grant. Chokshi says the program also received some funding from the City’s inaugural Climate Action Partner Grant to expand the project to include composting, explore adding cups and launch a culture-shift marketing campaign.
Chokshi says the next steps include deciding on the container and fee or process for implementing a reuseable container program as well as identifying which food cart lots are interested in starting a pilot program and working out details for a possible Wash Hub. Chokshi is also hoping for more leadership from local governments and identifying sustained funding for the program.
“We are grateful that our DEQ grant includes a budget for the containers. Our budget also included funds for subsidized and no-cost containers and replacement for lost containers,” he said. “We’re very cognizant of cost being a barrier and doing our best to make this accessible to all. This will be a large subject of discussion in terms of choosing the containers and also the process, so that it’s both financially sustainable and accessible.”
He says they also want to make the program accessible to visitors, by offering a deposit or refund option that works for them. According to ReuseSeattle, reusable food containers can save small businesses between $3,000 to $22,000 per year.
Chokshi is asking for business owners interested in participating in a future reusable container program to email him at kavi@envirocenter.org .
Editors Note: This article has been updated to reflect an extension in the public comment period through Dec. 31.
This article appears in the Source December 11, 2025.
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Why not simply make a biodegradable container period? Why complicate things more than need be? All resturants and food business must comply or receive excessive fines by the city.