Businesses can reduce packaging waste with reusable solutions

A Vancouver company has developed an innovative system to reduce food package waste by using reusable containers, transforming how cafés and restaurants serve food.

Katie Hyslop reports for The Tyee.

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In short:

• ShareWares offers reusable food packaging for cafes, restaurants, and events, reducing waste by allowing customers to return used containers for cleaning and reuse.
• The service involves a deposit system where customers scan QR codes on dishes to get their deposits refunded after use.
• ShareWares has partnerships with Tim Hortons and received a provincial grant to expand its washing facility, enabling the processing of up to 100,000 reusable products daily.

Key quote:

"We need to reduce our waste on this planet. We’re using 1.7 Earths of resources every year."

— Cody Irwin, CEO of ShareWares

Why this matters:

Reducing packaging waste helps decrease the carbon footprint and promotes sustainable practices. ShareWares' reusable system demonstrates how businesses can adopt circular economy principles to support environmental health. Read more: Get BPA out of food packaging, US health professionals tell feds.