UCRRA Ulster County Tiffin Project

The “Ulster County Tiffin Project” aimed to increase community awareness about the impact of waste reduction and reuse as pollution prevention strategies. Tiffins are multi-tiered, reusable, metal food containers that replace wasteful, nonrecyclable to-go containers when dining out. The project addressed pollution prevention by providing residents with FREE reusable, stainless steel Tiffin containers that eliminate their single-use, disposable counterparts.

The Ulster County Tiffin Project called on our community members to rethink waste through zero waste practices, resulting in improved public health and environmental conservation. Through innovative community engagement, participants in our Tiffin Project workshop series learned about the amount of single use packaging waste generated from food service, the environmental harms and potential health harms associated with single use packaging, and those items most likely to become litter, and together we will celebrate the many benefits of reusable alternatives!

Resources

Browse the resources created by this grant to experience the Tiffin Project!

Shop Local & Purchase a Tiffin!

Missed the project, but still want a new tiffin? Throughout this project, we learned about several local business that sell tiffins. This may not be a complete list. Please contact us if you know of an Ulster County retailer that should be added to this list.

Calcutta Kitchens (Kingston, NY)

Second Nature Refillery (New Paltz, NY)

Folk Refillery & Supply (Kingston, NY)

Tanma Ramen (Kingston, NY)

Victoria’s Gardens (Cottekill, NY)

High Falls Food Co-Op (High Falls, NY)

Special Thanks

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through the Environmental Protection Fund and led by the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Funding is provided by the Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Any opinions, findings, and/or interpretations of data contained herein are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations or policy of Rochester Institute of Technology and its NYS Pollution Prevention Institute or the State.

Thank You to all our Project Partners!

This project would not be possible without the time, effort, and collaboration of our many community partners who have shown support for this project from the very start! Our Recycling Outreach Team sincerely thanks you for being our supporter as a venue location, a social media partner, a guest speaker, a tiffin distribution volunteer, or a business outreach partner.

New Paltz Climate Action CoalitionNew Paltz Climate Smart Task Force

Shandaken Conservation Advisory Council & Shandaken Climate Smart Task Force

Climate Smart Kingston

Climate Smart Gardiner

Climate Smart Saugerties

Citizens Concerned About Plastic Pollution

Phoenicia Farmers Market 

Kingston Public Library

Gardiner Public Library

Saugerties Public Library

New Paltz Elting Memorial Library

City of Kingston 

Added August 2024: 

Marbletown Environmental Conservation Commission and Climate Smart Task Force

SUNY Ulster County Community College

SUNY New Paltz