According to a recently published data-driven study by the University of Edinburgh, using returnable cups and food containers can reduce waste by as much as 92%.
Another key takeaway from the research—featured in a recent article by Körkörös.hu—is that switching early is not only environmentally justified, but also delivers measurable benefits and represents a strategic opportunity for hospitality operators to strengthen sustainable operations and build customer trust.
Sustainability is increasingly becoming both a business and an environmental necessity. The University of Edinburgh’s findings provide concrete, quantified results that clearly show how deposit-return systems can impact waste generation in the hospitality sector—provided they are implemented consistently and at system level.
The data-driven methodology referenced above was based on modelling different return and cleaning scenarios. Researchers analysed more than half a million real order data points, examined the accessibility of return points, logistics distances, the energy and water demand of washing processes, and how outcomes change depending on consumer participation rates. Thanks to this approach, the conclusions were not drawn from theoretical estimates alone, but from calculations tailored to real operational conditions.
