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.

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.

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