For the past two years, we’ve talked about the potential of the Topper Stopper™. We’ve shared the designs, the vision, and the goal of achieving zero contamination in high-traffic recycling environments. We’ve explained why physical design beats education campaigns and why limiting material types creates behavioral clarity.
But in the world of facilities management and sustainability operations, potential doesn’t pay the bills. Performance does.
That’s why we took the Topper Stopper™ out of the lab and into the wild.
The Reality Check: A Live Deployment in High-Traffic Conditions
From November 7 through December 31, 2025, we deployed 5 Topper Stopper™ units across the USC Upstate campus in a strategic soft-launch pilot. This wasn’t a controlled demo with hand-picked participants. This was a live, unmonitored deployment in real-world conditions:
- High-traffic zones including the Gymnasium, Health Education Center, and main campus thoroughfares
- No mandatory training sessions or awareness campaigns
- No staff supervision or behavioral enforcement
- Real students with real habits, distractions, and time pressures
We installed the units on existing recycling bins, restricted the stream to two materials (PET #1 plastic bottles and aluminum cans), and let the technology do what it was designed to do: guide behavior through physical design.
Then we measured everything.
The Receipts: What 46 Days of Real-World Use Actually Proved
The results of this soft launch have officially moved the Topper Stopper™ from “conceptual innovation” to “operational technology”:
602 Containers Captured
This wasn’t a small sample size or a one-week novelty test. Over 46 consecutive days, the system captured 497 plastic bottles and 105 aluminum cans, averaging 13.1 items per day across all five units.
0% Contamination Rate
This is the metric that matters most. In 46 days of unmonitored, high-traffic use, not a single piece of trash entered the recycling stream. No coffee cups. No food wrappers. No “wishful recycling.” Our physical design forced correct behavior 100% of the time.
Calculated Environmental Impact Potential
We didn’t rely on guesswork. The recycling bins were physically audited multiple times throughout the 46-day pilot to verify the purity of the stream. Using these verified counts, we applied EPA WARM (Waste Reduction Model) standards to calculate the potential environmental impact:
- 29.4 lbs of material diverted from landfill
- 1,480 gallons of water savings potential (equivalent to 94 showers)
- 350 kWh of electricity conservation potential (290 days of laptop use)
- 102 lbs of CO₂ reduction potential (116 miles of driving avoided)
- $26.32 in recovered material value
Location Intelligence That Drives Decisions
The data revealed clear performance patterns. The Gymnasium captured 43.6% of all items, validating our hypothesis that high-activity zones near vending machines and athletic facilities are prime placement locations. This kind of actionable intelligence allows facility managers to optimize both placement strategy and servicing schedules.
Why This Matters for Hesitant Adopters
If you’ve been interested in the Topper Stopper™ but waiting for “real-world proof” before de-risking your facility’s recycling program, the wait is over.
This pilot proved three things that every facility manager, sustainability officer, and CFO needs to know:
1. The Technology is Robust
It survived 46 days in a college gymnasium, one of the ultimate high-traffic stress tests. Unit issues were minimal and quickly resolved. No system breakdowns. No contamination. The system works without constant oversight.
2. The Data is Actionable
We now know exactly which locations drive volume, which days see peak activity, and how placement affects performance. This isn’t just recycling. It’s operational intelligence that informs labor allocation, bin servicing, and expansion planning.
3. The ROI is Scalable
Because the bins were physically audited and impact metrics were calculated using EPA WARM standards, we can now project the potential environmental impact of a 10, 25, or 50-unit deployment in your environment.
From Pilot Data to Your Facility: The Scaling Model
The 5-unit soft launch gave us more than proof. It gave us a predictive model.
Because we now know the Topper Stopper™ captures an average of 2.617 items per unit per day with 0% contamination, we can project exactly what a larger deployment will deliver.
What a 90-Day Deployment Looks Like (Campus Baseline)
| Units | Containers Captured | Water Savings Potential | Energy Conservation Potential | CO₂ Reduction Potential | Material Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~2,356 | ~5,790 gal | ~1,370 kWh | ~399 lbs | ~$103 |
| 25 | ~5,890 | ~14,470 gal | ~3,430 kWh | ~998 lbs | ~$257 |
| 50 | ~11,780 | ~28,940 gal | ~6,860 kWh | ~1,996 lbs | ~$515 |
Projections based on 2.617 items/unit/day observed during soft launch. Environmental impact potential calculated using EPA WARM standards. Assumes 0% contamination and campus-level traffic patterns.
The Campus Variable: Why Your Facility May Outperform These Projections
Here’s what makes these numbers even more compelling: they represent a conservative baseline.
The USC Upstate pilot took place during a period that included:
- Thanksgiving break (4-day campus closure)
- Final exam preparation (reduced social and recreational traffic)
- Weekend periods (minimal campus activity)
- Variable class schedules (MWF vs. TTh attendance patterns)
Despite these traffic fluctuations, the Topper Stopper™ maintained 0% contamination and consistent daily performance.
What This Means for Facilities with Consistent, High-Frequency Traffic
Venues like airports, transit stations, stadiums, shopping malls, and hospitals operate with:
- Predictable daily patterns (commuter rushes, flight schedules, shift changes)
- Higher baseline traffic density (thousands of people per hour vs. hundreds)
- Extended operational hours (16 to 24 hour cycles vs. academic schedules)
- Beverage-driven disposal behavior (travelers, shoppers, and commuters consume on-the-go)
Based on traffic density analysis and operational patterns, facilities with consistent foot traffic can expect performance to exceed the campus baseline by 20 to 60%.
Conservative Performance Multipliers by Venue Type
| Venue Type | Traffic Consistency | Expected Multiplier | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Campus | Variable | 1.0x | Pilot baseline |
| Corporate Campus | Moderate | 1.2 to 1.3x | Consistent weekday traffic, predictable break patterns |
| Shopping Mall | High | 1.3 to 1.5x | Retail hours create reliable traffic, food courts drive consumption |
| Transit Hub | Very High | 1.4 to 1.6x | Commuter patterns repeat daily, high on-the-go beverage use |
| Airport | Very High | 1.5 to 1.7x | Security checkpoints create disposal bottlenecks, pre-boarding discard behavior |
| Stadium/Arena | Event-Driven | 1.6 to 2.0x | Massive event surges, high concession sales, captive audience |
| Hospital | Continuous | 1.3 to 1.5x | 24/7 operations, cafeteria traffic, consistent visitor/staff flow |
Adjusted 90-Day Projections for High-Traffic Venues
Airport Deployment (1.6x multiplier)
| Units | Containers | Water Savings Potential | Energy Conservation Potential | CO₂ Reduction Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~3,770 | ~9,260 gal | ~2,190 kWh | ~638 lbs |
| 25 | ~9,424 | ~23,150 gal | ~5,470 kWh | ~1,597 lbs |
| 50 | ~18,848 | ~46,300 gal | ~10,940 kWh | ~3,194 lbs |
Transit Hub Deployment (1.5x multiplier)
| Units | Containers | Water Savings Potential | Energy Conservation Potential | CO₂ Reduction Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~3,534 | ~8,685 gal | ~2,055 kWh | ~599 lbs |
| 25 | ~8,835 | ~21,705 gal | ~5,138 kWh | ~1,497 lbs |
| 50 | ~17,670 | ~43,410 gal | ~10,275 kWh | ~2,994 lbs |
Stadium/Arena Deployment (1.8x multiplier)
| Units | Containers | Water Savings Potential | Energy Conservation Potential | CO₂ Reduction Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~4,242 | ~10,422 gal | ~2,466 kWh | ~719 lbs |
| 25 | ~10,602 | ~26,046 gal | ~6,163 kWh | ~1,796 lbs |
| 50 | ~21,204 | ~52,092 gal | ~12,326 kWh | ~3,593 lbs |
Multipliers are conservative estimates based on traffic density, operational hours, and beverage consumption patterns observed in comparable venue types. Environmental impact potential calculated using EPA WARM standards.
What the Zero-Contamination Result Actually Validates
Achieving 0% contamination in a real-world pilot isn’t just a performance metric. It’s proof of concept validation across multiple dimensions:
Design Validation
The two-material restriction (PET #1 plastic and aluminum cans) combined with the physical constraints of the Topper Stopper™ opening successfully prevented incorrect disposal behavior without requiring user education.
Behavioral Science Validation
When the “right” action is also the “easy” action, compliance becomes automatic. The technology guided behavior through friction and clarity, not enforcement.
Operational Validation
The system required no supervision, no monitoring, and no corrective interventions. It functioned as designed from day one through day 46.
Data Methodology Validation
Physical audits verified collection counts and stream purity. EPA WARM-based calculations provide the potential environmental impact based on industry-standard lifecycle assessments. Decision-makers can trust the projections because the methodology is transparent and replicable.
From “Interesting Idea” to “Deployable System”
The Topper Stopper™ is no longer a concept. It’s a functioning, data-generating technology that solves the contamination crisis in high-traffic environments.
We have:
- Real-world performance data (602 containers, 0% contamination)
- Audit-verified impact metrics (EPA WARM standards)
- Predictive scaling models (10, 25, 50+ unit projections)
- Location intelligence (heat-mapping for optimization)
- Operational proof (46 days, zero supervision required)
For facility managers, sustainability officers, and CFOs who have been waiting for proof before de-risking adoption, the data is here.
The question is no longer “Does it work?”
The question is: “What will 90 days of clean data look like in your facility?”
Ready to Move from Concept to Certainty?
We’re now offering structured 90-day pilot deployments using 10+ Topper Stopper™ units designed to validate performance, prevent contamination, and generate decision-grade data for your specific environment.
Request Your 90-Day Impact Projection →
Or download the full USC Upstate case study to see the complete methodology, data verification process, and lessons learned.
Topper Stopper™
Clean streams. Real data. Proven at scale.
