Skip to main content

Franciscan Charities, located in Newark, New Jersey serves hot lunches five days a week to the most vulnerable. The organization’s founding is based on the belief that each person should have a warm, welcoming place to find nourishment and to be treated with dignity and kindness.

Before partnering with Clean Water Fund’s ReThink Disposable campaign, Franciscan Charities used all disposable single-use foodware, spending thousands of dollars every month. The garbage generated from the single-use disposables was costly, from excess garbage bags to the expense of hauling away the refuse. After working with the ReThink Disposable team, Franciscan Charities switched to providing meals on exclusively reusable foodware, honoring their community with more dignity.

These operational changes resulted in the elimination of 10,750 pounds of trash from the local landfill and incinerator, every year. Ultimately, reusables have helped break the cycle of poverty by redirecting critical funds needed to support client care. Read the Case Study.

Before & After
Image of plastic and Styrofoam trash
Image of Reusable service ware
Business Information:

242 S 8th St.
Newark, NJ 07103
United States

The Bottom Line

$47,943

Total annual net cost savings

936,000

Disposable items reduced per year

10,750

Pounds of annual waste reduction

We are appreciative that we won’t only save up to $50,000 every year but we are also moving toward being better stewards of our environment.
 

-
Melissa Hillier, Director of Franciscan Charities of Newark
ReThink Disposable - Stop waste before it starts

Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging

ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.

Learn More

Related Case Studies

University Taqueria, Berkeley

With the help of our ReThink Disposable Zero Waste Specialists, University Taqueria was able to remove 52,664 items from the waste stream every year, and totally eliminate disposables from their dine-in service!

Casa Do Petisco, Berkeley

With the help of our ReThink Disposable Zero Waste Specialists, Casa Do Petisco is eliminating 24,074 individual pieces of single use disposables and will be saving over $3,000 annually!

La Enramada Restaurant y Taqueria, San Jose

La Enramada Restaurant y Taqueria is a community favorite in San Jose, California for Brazilian caldo de pollo and authentic enchiladas Michoacanas. With the help of our Zero Waste Specialists to convert away from single-use items, La Enramada is eliminating over 360,000 items from the waste stream every year and saving $15,427 annually!