Vancouver’s Reusables has secured a $100,000 seed investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
Reusables’ tech-enabled platform for zero-waste packaging has emerged as an innovative solution to single-use plastic waste since its 2021 launch and has built a large pipeline of opportunities with food retailers and packaging distributors throughout North America.
This investment from SDTC will enable Reusables to scale its IoT-enabled technology platform and help more food business transition towards a circular economy for packaging.
Earlier this summer the startup announced that Earls Restaurant Group was the latest company to offer their zero-waste packaging platform. After a pilot at the famous Earls Test Kitchen in downtown Vancouver, all Earls customers are now able to select reusable takeout packaging for pickup and delivery through their ordering channels.
“SDTC invests in clean technology trailblazers with the potential to transform the environmental and economic prosperity of Canada,” said Jason Hawkins, the CEO and Co-Founder of Reusables. “We are honoured to receive their backing and look forward to a long-term partnership focused on impact.”
So how does the Reusables process work?
Stainless steel containers are delivered to a business and used when packaging meals for a participating customer’s takeout or food delivery order—then returned, sanitized, and reused approximately a thousand times, according to the startup. Through its proprietary app, the Reusables team is able to track containers, manage returns, and ensure each container is “cleaned to the highest standard.”
Reusables was cofounded by Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku. The startup is backed by Ryan Holmes and Manny Padda through LOI Venture and is currently raising a seed round to expand its network in the U.S. and Canada.
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