Savannah Reuse Revolution
Behavioral Mapping
Team Project - 5 Members
Behavior Change
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Savannah, United States
The Savannah Reuse Revolution is a collaborative initiative with Perpetual and SCAD’s Design for Sustainability program that reimagines urban single-use culture through an open-loop reusable drinkware system. The strategic recommendations from this project create a roadmap for aligning environmental goals with everyday habits to reduce single-use waste at a city scale.
Challenge
85% of plastic waste ends up in landfills or as unregulated waste, while only 14% of plastic packaging is successfully recycled. This issue is particularly acute in the food industry, where less than 1% of plastic foodware is recycled and a mere 0.4% is actually reusable. Despite mounting concerns over plastic waste, adoption of reusable foodware remains minimal due to psychological and structural barriers—ranging from hygiene concerns and lack of motivation to unclear instructions and inconvenient return systems. In Savannah, the open container law inadvertently encourages throwaway culture, and reusables are poorly promoted, inconsistently available, and often misunderstood.
Solution
As part of Perpetual's pilot project, this work proposes the implementation of an open-loop, "Return on the go" system designed around effortless drop-offs and intuitive communication. The intervention aims to reduce plastic waste while normalizing circular behavior in one of Georgia’s most iconic cities. Drawing from global case studies and local user research, the solution focuses on creating an ideal return experience through detailed behavior mapping, which includes:
Strategic Proximity: Placing return kiosks in high-traffic "hotspots," such as busy streets, key partner restaurants and pedestrian pathways, to ensure users do not have to go out of their way to return packaging.
Low-Friction Interaction: Designing bins for simple "drop and go" actions rather than complex stacking, and ensuring they are accessible 24/7 to accommodate Savannah's nightlife.
Visible And Clear Communication: Using on-cup messaging and prominent physical signage to educate users on the process and the environmental benefits, while utilizing QR codes at the point of purchase to identify drop-off locations.
Incentivisation: Motivating participation through reward schemes, such as discounts or coupons for nearby businesses, and providing immediate digital feedback to confirm successful returns.
The goal for this project is to shift the "throwaway culture" into a community-driven circular economy where reusable drinkware is seamlessly integrated into the city’s daily rhythm.
