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ReThink Disposable has long partnered with the City of San Francisco to help restaurants replace single-use foodware with cost-saving and planet-friendly reusable foodware. A recent champion is the House of Dim Sum in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which spent thousands of dollars weekly on disposable foodware.

After receiving technical assistance and fiscal support, the restaurant has eliminated 2.2 million disposable items every year. That’s more than seven tons of trash that won’t exist — the weight of a San Francisco cable car! An upfront investment of just $429 for durables will save $33,561 per year.

View the Case Study here (English) and here (Chinese).

Read more in The San Francisco Chronicle: Why San Francisco is spending $200,000 on dishware for restaurants

To learn more about our ReThink Disposable program, visit ReThinkDisposable.org.

Business Profile:

House of Dim Sum is located in San Francisco’s iconic Chinatown and specializes in, you guessed it, dim sum! Before working with SF Environment and ReThink Disposable, Ying Huang, the owner, spent thousands of dollars each week on disposable foodware to serve dine-in customers. After a visit from SF Environment’s outreach team, she learned that the ReThink Disposable program provides funds to switch from disposables to reusables for on-site dining. Huang joined the program — resulting in the elimination of unnecessary landfill waste and produced tremendous cost savings, which further supports House of Dim Sum as a cultural point of significance and source of nourishment for San Franciscans and Chinatown visitors.

Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:

  • Napkins automatically included with all orders
  • Disposable hot cups  
  • Individually wrapped creamer
  • Plastic forks and spoons 
  • 3 sizes of plastic clamshells,
    paper boats, and deli containers

Recommendations Implemented:

  • Napkins only upon request
  • Stainless steel double-walled cups
  • Carafe for bulk creamer
  • Stainless steel utensils and teaspoons for stirrers
  • Durable baskets and reusable plates

 

Before & After
House Of Dim Sum - Before
House Of Dim Sum - After
Business Information:

735 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA 94133
United States

The Bottom Line

$429

upfront investment in reusable foodware

$33,561

annual savings after payback period

2,200,000

disposable items reduced per year  

I encourage other businesses to work with ReThink Disposable and the City for the cost savings and to eliminate disposable items.

-
Ying Huang, Owner
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

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