RETURNR

RETURNRⓇ bowls have officially launched at MRS!

The environmental initiative, founded by KeepCup creator Jamie Forsythe, aims to eliminate single-use plastic take-away food packaging.

Single-use plastic take-away containers need to be used a minimum of 4 times before their environmental impact can be mitigated. If not disposed of, and recycled correctly, plastic containers can take many centuries to break down in landfill.

To help combat against the perpetual cycle of unsustainability, the Returnr.org team developed RETURNRⓇ bowls! They’re highly durable, made from double-walled stainless steel, and can be re-used thousands of times. Most importantly, they can be recycled indefinitely, because at the end of their use-cycle, they can be melted down and re-moulded, ready to be used again.

With Monash University moving towards a more sustainable, renewable future, MRS wanted to show our own commitment to the environment. We’re doing this by partnering with RETURNRⓇ and aiming to phase out the use of single-use plastic containers in the Halls Cafe.

On average, roughly 2400 single-use plastic containers were used per month in the Halls Cafe between May 2018 - April 2019. By partnering with RETURNRⓇ, we hope to not only end our consumption of single-use plastic containers, but also inspire greater environmental awareness in our residents.

Prior to launch, promotion via the Halls Cafe Facebook page captured over 3500 engagements in just three weeks, with many residents expressing their excitement over the launch of this fantastic environmental initiative.

MRS launched RETURNRⓇ bowls on Monday 15th July (the first day of Semester 2 Orientation), with amazing success. Up to 60 bowls were requested on Day 1, and over 120 after just a week and a half! We are very keen to watch the growth of this initiative throughout the rest of the semester.

A huge thank you to all those involved with the promotion and launch of this initiative, and to our amazing friends at Returnr.org.