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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
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  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
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  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

ReRoute Americas: Where AI meets sustainability in the $27 billion disposable foodware market

ReRoute Americas: Where AI meets sustainability in the $27 billion disposable foodware market

By Spencer Hulse

This story originally appeared on Transit Tomorrow

While most sustainability startups focus on buzzwords, ReRoute Americas is focused on bottom lines. The company distributes compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable disposables to stadiums, hotels, and resorts — and quietly powers it all with a proprietary AI system that predicts ordering needs down to the week. That means no over-ordering, no emergency re-stocks, and thousands saved per client.

With $2 million in 2024 revenue, marquee contracts across sports and hospitality, and a pipeline full of multimillion-dollar opportunities, ReRoute is turning waste into wins.

The problem: 2 billion plastic cups a year and only 6% recycled

America’s stadiums and hospitality venues are drowning in plastic waste. Every year, over 2 billion single-use cups are tossed at sports events alone, with 76% landing in landfills and only a sliver ever recycled. Hotels and resorts contribute millions more. The plastic lingers for 400+ years, and the environmental cost is staggering.

The ReRoute fix: compostables + AI-powered ordering

ReRoute replaces plastic with agave straws, bagasse containers, biodegradable utensils and paper alternatives. But what truly sets it apart is its backend: a proprietary AI predictive engine that forecasts weekly order volumes based on real-time data — ticket sales, weather, occupancy and seasonality.

The result? Optimized inventory, reduced waste, and major operational savings for clients like:

  • Orlando Magic
  • Las Vegas Golden Knights
  • Minnesota Twins
  • Walt Disney World
  • Hilton Grand Vacations
  • W Hotels and Four Seasons

Real contracts. real revenue. real traction.

ReRoute reached $2 million in revenue in 2024, with projected 400% growth in 2025 and $48 million+ in revenue by 2027. Stadium contracts are typically multiyear, multimillion dollar deals, providing reliable, recurring income. Recent wins include:

  • $1 million+ per year contract across 5 Las Vegas hotels and 8 sportsbooks
  • Multiple 4-year contracts worth $1.6 million  – $3.2 million per stadium
  • First-ever federal contract secured, expanding to government opportunities

Built for scale: nationwide distribution, stadium-first strategy

ReRoute operates a direct distribution model, avoiding costly third-party markups and allowing bulk procurement from manufacturers. With four regional hubs in California, Florida, Rhode Island and Indiana, it delivers quickly to key client clusters.

Why start with stadiums? Because sustainability is now a fan expectation, not a fringe perk. In fact, 75% of global sports fans want their teams to take environmental action, and over 200 organizations have already joined the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.

Proprietary AI, licensing potential

ReRoute’s AI doesn’t just forecast orders. It also tracks live inventory via barcode scanning and provides sustainability dashboards for clients to share with fans and stakeholders. Think “Impact-as-a-Service”:

  • Pounds of plastic reduced
  • Compostable units used
  • Carbon footprint saved

This tool can be licensed out to clients, creating a secondary revenue stream beyond product distribution.

ReRoute isn’t just sustainable, it’s scalable

This is not a lifestyle business. It’s a supply chain revolution for the venues and institutions that serve hundreds of millions annually. With defensible tech, recurring revenue, and real impact, ReRoute Americas is perfectly positioned to become the go-to solution for sustainable disposables in North America.

Spencer Hulse is the editorial director for Grit Daily Group.

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