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.

thetyee.ca

Businesses can reduce packaging waste with reusable solutions

Will feds step in if Saskatchewan breaks law on phasing out coal?

The real economic impact of clean energy

Breadcrumbs (literally) lay path away from fossil fuels

Trump's climate silence at the longest-ever State of the Union

Colorado's oil and gas industry is vastly underestimating methane emissions

Former New Mexico congressman Pearce faces questions about public lands views as he seeks federal post

Florida House to consider ban on local ‘net-zero’ policies

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.