Case Study: Auburn University increases meal quality and return rates with Topanga’s ReusePass

How Auburn University and dining partner Aramark improved student meal quality and increased portion sizes by switching from an analog-token reusables program to ReusePass, Topanga’s track-and-trace solution

Auburn University, a public university with over 34,000 students, partnered with its dining services provider Aramark to address the failures of a previous reusable container program. Their analog-token system had a devastatingly low return rate, with bins piled high with discarded containers, which dramatically increased operating costs. As a foam-free campus that also found single-use compostables to be inadequate, they needed a better solution to maintain meal quality for take-out orders, particularly for their Grubhub mobile orders stored in pickup lockers.

The university implemented Topanga's ReusePass, a track-and-trace solution that integrated with Grubhub and used a simple QR code system. The program was launched as the mandatory process for mobile orders at one dining hall. Topanga's system included SMS reminders for students and a web app to track containers, leading to a remarkable 98% average return rate. This success resulted in over $14,000 in savings on single-use packaging, which was reinvested into higher quality food and larger portion sizes for students. Topanga's solution also prevented an estimated 31,000 single-use containers from going to landfill.

Auburn University

Jessica Vines

Aramark District Marketing Manager