George Mason University to become first university to have Starship x Topanga ReusePass zero waste integration
SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES (January 21, 2025) – Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, and Topanga.io, a leading reusable packaging management platform, today announced that they are partnering to offer reusable packaging for food orders at U.S. campuses. George Mason University will be the first Starship campus to introduce the ReusePass integration and the first university to offer a fully integrated reusables experience for kiosks. There are plans to expand the service to additional Starship campuses. Initially available for mobile pickup and kiosk orders, it will be available for robot deliveries after the launch.
Topanga’s ReusePass program, proven to scale across colleges and university campuses, is fully integrated with the Starship app. Students who place an order for mobile pickup or from a self-order kiosk can select reusable packing during the checkout process. Those orders will be packaged in a reusable container and managed using Topanga’s track-and-trace technology so students can see what containers they have and what needs to be returned. The reusable packing is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before being placed back in the program.
“Sustainability has been a core part of Starship’s service since the beginning and we couldn’t be more excited about adding Topanga’s ReusePass,” said Chris Neider, VP of business development at Starship Technologies. “Our university partners have told us that sustainability is important to them and their campus communities. George Mason University was our first university partner, the first campus where we rolled out wireless charging and now the first location where we are introducing reusable packaging. We think it will be a big hit and look forward to adding this option to more campuses.”
Topanga’s ReusePass program will be live on more than 65 campuses this academic year and over 100,000 students have already used the program. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the program served 1.2 million meals in reusable containers with an average return rate above 97%. This helped divert 123,500 pounds of waste from entering streams and avoided 859,934 lbs of GHG CO2e by choosing to reuse over manufacturing single-use containers.
Page Schult, CEO at Topanga, said, “Starship’s technology has empowered campus communities to offer sustainable food delivery solutions, making our partnership a natural extension of their commitment to sustainable dining. Topanga’s ReusePass integration with the Starship app and kiosks provides students with a seamless way to embrace sustainability without sacrificing convenience. It’s a win-win-win for campuses, students, and the environment.”
“At Mason Dining, sustainability is a top priority, and this seamless integration makes it easier than ever for our students to choose environmentally responsible dining options,” said Roshonda Alexander, Sodexo Retail General Manager at George Mason University. “We believe this will be a great success, furthering our commitment to a greener campus.”
Starship now reaches 1.5 million students with dining options from 900 merchants for its on-demand autonomous delivery at 55 US campuses. Globally, Starship has completed more than 7 million deliveries.
Starship Technologies operates commercially on a daily basis around the world. Its zero-emission robots make more than 150,000 road crossings every day and have completed nearly seven million commercial deliveries globally, more than any other autonomous delivery provider.
# # #
About Starship Technologies
Starship Technologies is revolutionizing deliveries with autonomous robots. The robots are designed to deliver food, groceries and packages locally in minutes. The delivery robots have traveled millions of miles and completed seven million autonomous deliveries around the world. Starship was founded by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis (Skype Chief Architect and Co-founder).
About Topanga.io
Topanga revolutionizes kitchen operations by helping culinary teams waste less and save more through innovative, AI-powered solutions. Focused on reducing food and packaging waste, improving operational efficiency, and cutting costs, Topanga empowers culinary teams with reliable data that enhances daily decision-making and sustainability efforts.
Topanga’s flagship ReusePass program sets the standard in track-and-trace reusable packaging, boasting 97%+ return rates across 430+ commercial kitchens in the US and Canada. Their latest innovation, StreamLine, combines AI-powered smart scales with advanced data analysis to minimize food waste and automate post-production processes, further driving efficiency and sustainability in the kitchen.
