Re:Serve – From Single-Use to Reuse in Public Food Services
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Linköpings universitet - Institutionen för ekonomisk och industriell utveckling |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 973 420 |
| Project duration | August 2025 - June 2026 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Venture | Circular and biobased economy |
| Call | Plastic Contract for Sustainable Plastic Use |
Purpose and goal
Re:Serve aims to replace harmful single-use packaging in public kitchens with reusable vacuum containers. By developing and testing new solutions in real settings like Eskilstuna’s school kitchens, it tackles a pressing issue: multilayer plastic boxes that can’t be recycled and release microplastics and CO₂. The goal is a “plastic contract” enabling a transition to circular plastic use.
Expected effects and result
The project is expected to result in 2–3 validated reusable vacuum containers, production tools, hygiene solutions, and test data from real large-scale kitchen environments. Life cycle analyses (LCA/LCC) will demonstrate environmental and cost performance, while a plastic contract will formalize collaboration. The outcome is a scalable model for circular plastic use in public kitchens, supporting Sweden’s recycling goals and reducing CO₂ emissions.
Planned approach and implementation
The project is carried out in 3 work packages: (1) technical development and testing of 2–3 reusable vacuum containers in public large-scale kitchen environments, including the creation of molding tools and evaluation of hygiene solutions; (2) life cycle analysis and life cycle cost analysis comparing the new solutions with single-use alternatives; and (3) project management, collaboration, and development of a plastic contract for responsibility allocation, follow-up, and future dissemination.