Is Your School’s Food Packaging Putting Your Climate Plan at Risk?

Since October 2025, all education settings are required to have a sustainability lead and an active climate action plan. A key element of this commitment is reducing waste and lowering carbon impact. However, many schools continue to rely on single-use food packaging that cannot be recycled once contaminated with food, sending unnecessary waste to landfill. True compliance means aligning everyday operations with sustainability targets. Switching to reusable food containers helps schools reduce waste, support decarbonisation goals, and demonstrate measurable environmental action.

IT'S TIME TO SWITCH TO RETURNABLES

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE RETURNABLES RANGE

1,000+

Reuses

90%

Less Emissions

100%

Recyclable

Cut Waste by 90% in 12 Months

The Problem: A Cycle of Waste

Every day, schools across the UK rely on disposable food and drink packaging.
Tens of billions of single-use items are used at lunch time each year — typically for just 15 minutes before being thrown away.

15 Minutes

is the average use time before disposal

Under 10%

of packaging actually gets recycled

Over 90%

ends up in landfill, incineration, or as litter

Single-use packaging creates costly environmental damage

Massive Carbon Footprint

Contributing to climate change with every lunch period

Endless Waste Stream

Landfills and incinerators filled with preventable waste

School Site Litter

Disposable packaging scattered across grounds and facilities

Conflicts With Environmental Values

At odds with schools' sustainability commitments

SEE THE RETURNABLES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Your Disposable Plates Are Costing More Than You Think

Schools using disposable plates pay the same cost again and again, every single day. With prices for single-use items continuing to rise, that ongoing spend quickly adds up to thousands of pounds over a few years.

Elygra Returnables work differently.

Purchased once and reused daily, they remove the need for constant reordering and reduce exposure to rising disposable costs. Based on a typical school year of around 190 days, each Returnables product is designed to last for approximately five school years — helping schools lock in long-term savings, cut waste, and gain far greater value from their catering budgets.

disposable plates cost more than you think Returnables can save you money

5 Years

Designed for daily reuse across a full five school years

One-Off Purchase

Buy once. Reuse every day.
No ongoing plate orders.

££££s Saved

By replacing repeat disposable spend with Returnables

Returnables 5-Year Savings Calculator

Use the calculator to compare your current disposable plate costs with a Returnables solution over five years.

This estimate is based on the expected lifespan of a Returnables product, assuming use across a standard 190-day school year.

Returnables are reused daily and designed for long-term use, helping schools reduce ongoing costs, waste, and reliance on single-use products.

In addition to direct cost savings, switching to Elygra Returnables can deliver wider financial benefits for schools. These include reduced waste collection and disposal costs, less time spent on repeat procurement of single-use items, and lower storage requirements by removing the need to hold large volumes of disposable stock.

The Elygra Solution

A Simple Alternative to Disposable Packaging

Elygra Returnables are designed to be reused 1,000+ times, helping schools move away from throwaway culture towards a circular, zero-waste system.