circular economy
Credit: Douglas Muth/Flickr
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.
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.Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Rubbermaid Products/Flickr
Revolutionizing reusable packaging will require collaborative solution
A new report emphasizes the need for standardized reusable packaging systems to combat plastic waste and encourages unified efforts to achieve global adoption.
In short:
- A Seattle cafe's reusable cup program failed due to logistical issues and a lack of coordination with other businesses.
- The nonprofit PR3 is creating standards for reusable packaging to promote uniformity and efficiency in reuse systems.
- For wide adoption, businesses need standardized containers and unified logistics, while educating consumers on reusables' importance.
Key quote:
“If we want everyone to move in the same direction, we need to set some design parameters for how we want the system to function.”
— Claudette Juska, co-founder, PR3.
Why this matters:
Plastic waste from single-use containers harms health and the environment. Standardized reusable packaging systems, promoted through collaborative efforts, could significantly reduce this waste globally. Read more: Get BPA out of food packaging, US health professionals tell feds.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: giodilo/BigStock Photo ID: 287188630
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| Copyright: MIRO3D |
Circular economy poised to go beyond outdated oil, gas and coal, experts say
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Development Planning Unit University College London/Flickrhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Zimbabwe sees recycling boom as waste picking becomes lucrative business
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