From Waste to Wow
How to Implement Reusable Packaging in Corporate Catering.
In today’s corporate world, sustainability isn’t a side project — it’s a core priority. From boardroom breakfasts to team lunches and grab-and-go meals and coffees, how your company serves food speaks volumes. The good news? You don’t need to compromise on convenience or quality to reduce waste.
More and more companies are swapping single-use packaging for stylish, sustainable alternatives — and reaping serious rewards. At Returnr, we’re proud to support forward-thinking workplaces like ANZ, Deloitte, JP Morgan, and Clayton Utz with reusable packaging systems that are smart, scalable, and seriously good-looking.
Here’s how to implement reusables in your corporate catering — and why now is the perfect time to start.
Why Ditch Disposables?
Let’s do the mathematics.
A busy internal café serving 500 meals per day can generate over 40,000 pieces of packaging waste every month — that’s a truckload of single-use containers, cups, and trays heading straight to landfill.
By switching to reusables, you can:
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Eliminate tens of thousands of single-use items annually
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Cut costs on disposable packaging purchases (our clients have seen savings in the tens of thousands per year)
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Reduce your environmental impact — significantly lowering your landfill waste and carbon footprint
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Enhance the customer experience with packaging that’s durable, sleek, and actually enjoyable to use
It’s better for your budget, better for the planet, and better for your people. What’s not to love?
Step 1: Choose a Reuse System That Works for Corporate Scale
Returnr’s reusable packaging is purpose-built for large organisations with high-volume food service — including those with on-site cafés, multiple catering vendors, and complex operational needs.
Our product range includes:
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Reusable cups for hot and cold drinks
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Durable bowls for salads, noodles, pastas, and more
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Sleek trays perfect for displaying wraps, sandwiches and salads
Each product is designed for shared use and grab-and-go catering applications, combining hygiene, durability, sustainability and aesthetic appeal.
Step 2: Pilot and Prove
Start small — perhaps with one floor, one café, or one regular catering event. We recommend partnering with your internal facilities team or your catering vendor to plan your initial launch of reusables.
What your pilot might look like:
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A weekly catered lunch in Returnr bowls and trays
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Grab-and-go lunches from your internal café
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A reusable coffee cup program for staff and visitors
Track adoption rates, gather feedback, and monitor cost and waste data. Most companies see near-immediate improvements in presentation and staff satisfaction — and within a few months, the environmental and financial savings start stacking up.
Step 3: Empower Your Caterers and Facilities Teams
Many catering providers want to reduce waste — they just need the right tools and support.
With Returnr:
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Caterers can deliver meals in reusable packaging with no extra hassle
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Returnr staff provide training and signage to support your team
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We work with your internal stakeholders (procurement, ESG, comms) to make rollout smooth
We’ve already partnered with leading food service providers and can easily integrate into your existing vendor relationships.
Step 4: Make It Easy for Staff to Participate
The biggest driver of success? Ease of use. We design systems that blend seamlessly into your workplace.
How it works:
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Staff receive food or drinks in Returnr packaging.
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Once finished, they return items to designated collection points.
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Containers are picked up, sanitised, and returned — ready to go again.
With clear signage, email comms, and occasional reminders, return rates are consistently high. Want to dial it up? Try gamifying it — office leaderboards, “return heroes,” or monthly waste stats can help build engagement.
Step 5: Track Results, Celebrate Wins, and Scale Up
Returnr encourages organisations to track their performance. This helps demonstrate sucess and build trust in the reuse system.
We recommend tracking:
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Number of reuses (POS transactions)
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Single-use items avoided (POS transactions)
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Landfill and CO₂ savings (bin audits)
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Cost savings over time (single-use packaging costs)
This info is gold for annual reports, internal sustainability updates, and stakeholder communications. It’s tangible proof that your organisation is delivering on its ESG goals — and creating a better experience for employees at the same time.
A Better Lunch Break, Backed by Data
Let’s put it into perspective. Across our corporate clients, we’ve seen results like:
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90,000+ pieces of single-use packaging eliminated in 6 months
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$40,000+ in annual savings from reduced packaging spend
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Improved workplace experience with staff reporting meals “feel fresher” and “taste better” in our premium containers
And perhaps best of all — it’s visible. Every catered meeting, every staff lunch, every takeaway coffee becomes a moment of climate action. A small change, multiplied across thousands of meals, creates a massive impact.
Ready to Lead the Change?
You don’t have to overhaul your entire operations overnight. But if you’re serious about sustainability, staff wellbeing, and smarter procurement — reusable packaging is the low-hanging fruit.
At Returnr, we make it simple. Our systems are already up and running in workplaces like ANZ, Deloitte, JP Morgan, and Clayton Utz — and we’d love to help your team join them.
Let’s eliminate single-use packaging, one bowl at a time.
Contact us today to explore how Returnr can transform your corporate catering experience.
