Several ASUCLA locations implemented a $1 fee for single-use food containers in June to encourage the use of reusable food containers.

The fee applies to SAMBAZON, Greenhouse, Anderson Cafe, Cafe Synapse, LuValle Commons, the Court of Sciences Student Center and Northern Lights, an ASUCLA spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The fee is included in the total purchase price for students who pay with meal swipes, they added.

Customers can receive their food in reusable plastic containers for no extra cost through a partnership between ASUCLA and Reusables, a company that UCLA has partnered with since 2024 to provide the trackable containers and smart return bins.

[Related: A catalyst for change: Exploring UCLA’s shift away from single-use packaging – Daily Bruin]

Each Reusables container is marked with a QR tracking code and can be returned up to five days after checkout before ASUCLA puts a $5 authorization hold on a customer’s card. ASUCLA removes the hold if the container is returned within 30 days of checkout.

ASUCLA uses the revenue from the fee to pay for compostable packaging and disposal, the spokesperson said.

“We’ve seen a greater utilization of the reusable bowls, and it’s increased awareness for the program,” said Cole Graham, an ASUCLA senior student supervisor.

Customers previously had to enter their personal information and create a custom ID to check out a reusable container. Before ASUCLA implemented the fee, this discouraged customers from checking out a reusable container, said Graham, a rising third-year architectural studies and business economics student.

Now, people can tap their card twice at check out – once to link the card to the container in case it is not returned within 30 days, and once more to pay for the meal.

While complications can arise if an employee executes an order incorrectly or orders get disorganized, ASUCLA employees still encourage people to use the reusable containers, Graham said.

“It’s good that people have the option to choose if they really want to if they feel strongly about not using reusables,” said Oliver Wang, a graduate student in electrical engineering. “Otherwise, it’s a good way to motivate people.”

Wang said the cleanliness of the reusable containers concerned him when ASUCLA first introduced them. However, the new fee encouraged him to make the switch, and the check out and return process was self-explanatory, he added.

Miki Goral, a Powell Library librarian, said she also started using the reusable containers after she learned about the fee. Paying the fee would add up to hundreds of dollars every year for her, she added.

Joy Zhang, a third-year education and social transformation student, said she worries that the reusable containers are not cleaned thoroughly, adding that she views compostable single-use containers as more convenient and just as sustainable.

“I can carry it to my car and to my classroom,” Zhang said. “I don’t have to return it after I use it, so it really saves a lot of time.”

ASUCLA restaurants will continue to evaluate the Reusables program and the single-use container fee, the spokesperson said in the statement.

Graham said he wants to see other ASUCLA restaurants implement the same fee for single-use containers and provide reusable alternatives.

“Now that there is a fee, it’s given me an incentive to be more environmentally conscious and be aware of the waste that I’m creating,” he said.