Alison Cove

Alison Cove is the founder and CEO of USEFULL, the only tech-enabled, plastic-free takeout container solution for college and university campuses. USEFULL provides the tracking technology and durable containers that schools need to operate a successful zero-waste takeout program that eliminates waste, saves water, and reduces emissions to meet sustainability goals. Alison is on a mission. She created the USEFULL stainless steel reuse solution to solve a personal dilemma; like many others, she loves takeout food and drinks, but felt guilty about the trail of waste her habit was creating. In the research that led Alison to found USEFULL, one key takeaway emerged—you can’t solve a plastic problem with more plastic. To galvanize reuse in the healthiest, most sustainable way possible, Alison is committed to eliminating plastic and single-use packaging from the takeout stream at college dining operations, protecting students from microplastics, and driving lasting behavior change around reuse.