USEFULL Takes Reuse From Campuses to Senior Living Dining

USEFULL, a plastic-free reuse platform known for its work in higher education dining, has launched its first senior living program at The Glen at Scripps Ranch.

The move takes the company’s closed-loop container system beyond college campuses and into another type of community where the model can fit: residents eat in shared dining spaces, return to the same facilities and can build reuse into everyday routines.

At The Glen, disposable takeout packaging is being replaced with durable stainless steel containers. Residents check out containers with their meals, return them after use and the dining team washes and recirculates them. A scan-based tracking system supports the process, with reminders and reporting to help staff monitor inventory and improve return rates.

USEFULL founder and CEO Alison Cove has positioned senior living as a practical next step for the company because these communities share several traits with campuses, including centralized dining, regular users and consistent foodservice operations.

The launch follows USEFULL programs at institutions including UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh. Its broader growth strategy is focused on contained environments where people live, eat and return frequently enough for reusable systems to become part of daily operations.

Packaging Costs, Waste and Resident Expectations Drive the Shift

For senior living operators, the appeal of reusable takeout containers is not only environmental. Disposable packaging remains a recurring cost, and pressure around plastic waste, microplastics, PFAS and plastic-lined food packaging continues to shape resident and operator expectations.

The Glen at Scripps Ranch is framing the program as both a health-conscious and cost-conscious change. Steve Floyd, the community’s director of food and beverage, has pointed to rising packaging costs as a key factor, noting that single-use plastics have increased by 28% and compostable alternatives by 35% over the past year.

That cost pressure makes reuse more than a sustainability project. For dining teams, a reusable container program can reduce dependence on single-use packaging, limit exposure to supply chain disruption and give operators clearer visibility into container inventory and usage.

USEFULL’s system is designed to work more like a library than a one-off green initiative. Containers are checked out, returned, cleaned and used again. That structure matters in senior living, where dining operations need consistency, ease of use and a system that residents can adopt without friction.

Resident demand is also part of the equation. USEFULL’s operations and product development lead MJ Eldridge has indicated that many older adults are paying closer attention to plastic-related health concerns and looking for communities that support healthier aging and lower-waste living.

For senior living providers, the program reflects a wider shift in foodservice strategy. Reuse is moving from a campus dining experiment into residential communities where cost control, waste reduction and resident experience are increasingly connected.