Vancouver company celebrates reusable food container success

While there are multiple ways to eschew single-use food takeout containers in favour of reusable ones, a Vancouver company says it has moving toward being a major player in the sector.
Reusables.com was founded in 2021 by Jason Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku, then both in their mid-20s, as a way to address the scourge of single-use takeout containers they were seeing piling up in garbage cans, landfills — or even worse — as litter.
"We just don't have any more time to sit and not do something," said Kiku at the time about their concept.
Reusables finds a home at universities, country club
The company provides businesses with reusable containers, which are given to customers at checkout without a deposit. Customers are only charged — between $5 and $10 — if the containers aren't returned to special bins that track them.
It's a simple concept, which others are also doing, but comes with hurdles such as getting customers to change their habits to adopt the system.
Reusables.com says the company recognized its system, now at places such as University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, is a good fit for where consumers, such as students and staff, return to the same place over and over again.
"It really makes sense as a perfect closed-loop model where everyone is in that location," said Jasper Law, the company's product lead. "It's easy for them to know that they can bring it back to that place."
Reusables also has improved its made-in-Vancouver return bins. Users scan their container to open the bin, meaning it's tamper-proof and can only be filled with Reusables containers.
Law said a successful reusable-container business has to have a high rate of return to be viable.
"What matters in these programs is return rate," he said. "So we are striving to get as close to 100 per cent as possible because every container loss needs to be replaced and that eliminates the value of the program."
West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club is now using the Reusables.com system for its 8,000 members.
Officials say member often received food or drink in single-use containers, but used them and discarded them on site, which created a garbage problem.
"So we thought we should look for an alternative solution," said Caitlin Lundy, the club's director of sales and communication.
The club says it's now saving between 8,000 and 10,000 units of paper cups, plastic lids and paper takeout containers per month.
"So the initial cost of the system, it paid for itself within about two months," Lundy said.
Company receives seed funding
Reusables.com captured nearly $4 million in seed funding in April to help it expand further.
"We're thrilled to be backed by the best tech and climate investors as we scale real impact, not just optics," said Hawkins in a release from the company.
"Greenwashing won't solve the waste crisis — technology and execution will."
Single-use item waste is a big problem to tackle in a "take, make waste society," said Denise Philippe, Metro Vancouver's National Zero Waste Council's senior policy adviser.
Metro Vancouver has ambitious goals to reduce this type of waste and commended companies like Reusables.com for trying to make a difference.
"I think there's lots of creativity and innovation that's happening in this space," said Philippe.
"So kudos to both the reuse systems [and] system providers that are out there … scratching their heads … and trying to figure out how to make this work and make it work at scale and make it cost efficient."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hamilton Spectator

13 minutes ago

• Hamilton Spectator

Carney travelling to Europe for security, defence talks with EU, NATO

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney will depart for Europe on Sunday for back-to-back summits where he is expected to make major commitments for Canada on security and defence. Carney will be joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Defence Minister David McGuinty and secretary of state for defence procurement Stephen Fuhr at the EU and NATO summits, where military procurement and diversifying supply chains will top the agendas. The international meetings come as Canada looks to reduce its defence procurement reliance on the United States due to strained relations over tariffs and President Donald Trump's repeated talk about Canada becoming a U.S. state. Carney will fly first to Brussels, Belgium, starting the trip with a visit to the Antwerp Schoonselhof Military Cemetery where 348 Canadian soldiers are buried. He will also meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. At the EU-Canada summit, Anand and McGuinty are expected to sign a security and defence agreement with the EU in what one European official described Friday as one of the most ambitious deals Europe has ever signed with a third country. The agreement will open the door to Canada's participation in the ReArm Europe initiative, allowing Canada to access a 150-billion-euro loan program for defence procurement, called Security Action for Europe. An EU official briefing reporters on Friday said once the procurement deal is in place, Canada will have to negotiate a bilateral agreement with the European Commission to begin discussions with member states about procurement opportunities. A Canadian official briefing reporters on the summit Saturday said the initial agreement will allow for Canada's participation in some joint procurement projects. However, a second agreement will be needed to allow Canadian companies to bid. At the EU-Canada summit, leaders are also expected to issue a joint statement to underscore a willingness for continued pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions, and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. After Brussels, Carney heads to The Hague in the Netherlands for the NATO leaders' summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. There, Carney will meet with the King of the Netherlands and later with leaders of Nordic nations to discuss Arctic and transatlantic security. At the NATO summit, Carney will take part in bilateral meetings with other leaders. The summit agenda includes a social dinner hosted by the king and queen of the Netherlands and a two-and-a-half hour meeting of the North Atlantic Council. NATO allies are expected to debate a plan to hike alliance members' defence spending target to five per cent of national GDP. NATO data shows that in 2024, none of its 32 members spent that much. The Canadian government official who briefed reporters on background says the spending target and its timeline are still up for discussion, though some allies have indicated they would prefer a seven-year timeline while others favour a decade. Canada hasn't hit a five- per- cent defence spending threshhold since the 1950s and hasn't reached the two per cent mark since the late 1980s. NATO says that, based on its estimate of which expenditures count toward the target, Canada spent $41 billion in 2024 on defence, or 1.37 per cent of GDP. That's more than twice what it spent in 2014, when the two per cent target was first set; that year, Canada spent $20.1 billion, or 1.01 per cent of GDP, on defence. In 2014, only three NATO members achieved the two per cent target — the U.S., the U.K., and Greece. In 2025, all members are expected to hit it. Any agreement to adopt a new spending benchmark must be ratified by all 32 NATO member states. Former Canadian ambassador to NATO Kerry Buck told The Canadian Press the condensed agenda is likely meant to 'avoid public rifts among allies,' describing Trump as an 'uncertainty engine.' 'The national security environment has really, really shifted,' Buck said, adding allies next door to Russia face the greatest threats. 'There is a high risk that the U.S. would undercut NATO at a time where all allies are increasingly vulnerable.' Trump has suggested the U.S. might abandon its mutual defence commitment to the alliance if member countries don't ramp up defence spending. 'Whatever we can do to get through this NATO summit with few public rifts between the U.S. and other allies on anything, and satisfy a very long-standing U.S. demand to rebalance defence spending, that will be good for Canada because NATO's good for Canada,' Buck said. Carney has already made two trips to Europe this year — the first to London and Paris to meet with European allies and the second to Rome to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.

Yahoo

15 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Trump claims tariffs could 'eliminate' income tax for Americans making under $200,000

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. President Donald Trump says tariffs could deliver a financial windfall for everyday Americans — by wiping out their income taxes. 'When tariffs cut in, many people's income taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated,' Trump declared in a Truth Social post on April 27. 'Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year.' That's a bold promise, especially considering that only 14.4% of U.S. households earned more than $200,000 annually in 2023, according to Census Bureau data. In other words, if Trump's vision holds true, the vast majority of Americans would pay no income tax at all. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) But don't celebrate just yet. While Trump is optimistic, experts say the math simply doesn't add up. Economists Erica York and Huaqun Li of the Tax Foundation were blunt, explaining in a response on April 28 that 'the individual income tax raises more than 27 times as much revenue as tariffs currently do,' and 'even eliminating income taxes for a subset of taxpayers, such as those earning $200,000 or less, would require significantly higher replacement revenues than tariffs could generate.' They estimate that the tariffs Trump has imposed and scheduled as of April 2025 would generate nearly $167 billion in new federal tax revenue in 2025 — covering less than 25% of the cost of eliminating income taxes for people earning below $200,000. While Trump's proposal faces serious doubts, policy changes aren't the only route to lowering tax bills. Here are two powerful assets that everyday investors can use to their advantage. Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business, once said that if you're trying to build wealth, you have 'an obligation to pay as little tax as possible.' His advice? Keep it simple: 'You buy stocks, you never sell them, you borrow against them.' Galloway broke it down with an example: 'You own $100 in Amazon stock. You need money to buy something. Instead of selling the stock, and let's say it's gone up 50% ... You would have to realize a capital gain and pay long-term capital gains [tax] on that $50 gain. No, just borrow against it and let the stock continue to grow.' This strategy allows investors to tap into the value of their portfolios without triggering a taxable event. Because capital gains are only taxed when realized, borrowing against appreciated assets lets investors access cash while deferring taxes. Meanwhile, the investments themselves can continue to grow. And since the interest on the loan is often smaller than the tax bill from a sale, this approach can be a powerful tool for preserving and compounding wealth over time. Of course, not all investors want to pick individual stocks — and you don't have to. Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of our time, recommends a much simpler path: buying a cross-section of the American economy. 'In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index,' Buffett has stated, meaning invest in an S&P 500 index fund. This straightforward approach gives investors exposure to the top American companies on the stock market, providing diversified exposure without the need for constant monitoring or active trading. The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — Real estate has long been a go-to asset for building wealth — and one of the reasons is the generous tax treatment it receives. When you earn rental income from an investment property, you can claim deductions for a wide range of expenses, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance and ongoing maintenance and repairs. Real estate investors also benefit from depreciation — a tax deduction that recognizes the gradual wear and tear of a property over time. Today, you don't need to be a millionaire or buy property outright to benefit from real estate investing. For example, Homeshares opens the door to the $30-plus trillion U.S. home equity market — a space that was once reserved almost exclusively for institutional investors. With a minimum investment of $25,000, accredited investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property. With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets. If you're an accredited investor looking for larger returns through commercial real estate, First National Realty Partners (FNRP) could be a better fit with a $50,000 minimum investment requirement. Specializing in grocery-anchored retail, FNRP offers a turnkey solution for investors, allowing them to passively earn distribution income while benefiting from the firm's expertise and deal leadership. FNRP has developed relationships with the nation's largest essential-needs brands, including Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods, and provides insights into the best properties both on and off-market. And since the investments are necessity-based, they tend to perform well during times of economic volatility and act as a hedge against inflation. You can engage with experts, explore available deals and easily make an allocation, all in one personalized, secure portal. JPMorgan sees gold soaring to $6,000/ounce — use this 1 simple IRA trick to lock in those potential shiny gains (before it's too late) This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Millions of Americans now sit on a stunning $35 trillion in home equity — here's 1 new way to invest in responsible US homeowners This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio

Yahoo

21 minutes ago

• Yahoo

2 Top Stocks to Buy Now at Big Discounts and Hold for Years

RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) is more than just a furniture store; it's a lifestyle brand. Roku's large audience reach just landed it a game-changing deal with Amazon. 10 stocks we like better than RH › Sometimes Wall Street can be very slow to understand the real value of a business. The competitive advantage and growth strategy of a company can be misunderstood, leading to depressed valuations and underperforming share prices. Investors who can see through the stock volatility and focus on the key signals that set a company up for long-term success can be rewarded with outsize gains over time. Here are two stocks of market-leading brands that are trading well off their previous highs and could be significantly undervalued. RH (NYSE: RH), the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware, emerged as a prominent luxury furniture brand over the past decade. In the past year, however, the business struggled with several macroeconomic headwinds, such as a weak housing market and uncertainties over tariffs. Questions about near-term demand have sent the stock down 52% this year, but this is a great buying opportunity for a long-term investor. RH's trailing-12-month revenue of $3.3 billion is below its previous peak of $3.9 billion a few years ago, but it just reported a strong first quarter. Revenue grew 12% year over year in the quarter, outperforming the rest of the industry. RH is expanding its addressable market to hospitality offerings in its design galleries, such as restaurants and wine bars, which has elevated the shopping experience to something that cannot be replicated by e-commerce competitors. Moreover, the company entered the $200 billion North American hotel industry with RH Guesthouses, and it offers much more, including private jets and luxury yachts for charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. All this creates an ecosystem of services meant to showcase the RH lifestyle and raise the brand to something more than just furniture products. It's for these reasons that RH has a history of reporting much higher margins than the average furniture store. Its adjusted operating margin was 7% in the first quarter, below its previous 10-year average of 12%. It should return to those higher margins in a strong housing market, and this is not reflected in the stock's valuation. Over the last 10 years, the stock traded at a price-to-sales multiple ranging from 0.48 to 6.59. The average was just over 2 times sales, with the stock currently trading at a multiple of 1.16. Investors who buy shares at these lower discounted prices and hold until the housing market is fully recovered should be well rewarded. Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) is another beaten-down stock whose long-term prospects are not fully reflected by its current share price. The stock is trading about 32% below where it was five years ago, but the platform continues to show double-digit growth in revenue that sets up a potential bull run. Roku is a leading connected-TV streaming platform that is benefiting from a growing digital advertising market, which is how the company generates most of its revenue. It also gets a small percentage of revenue from selling its streaming devices, but that is a low-margin business. Advertising can be cyclical with the broader economy, and that's what caused the stock to collapse a few years ago. But Wall Street is missing the real value of the company's platform. It is fundamentally a TV operating system that has achieved tremendous viewership in the U.S. through its affordable Roku TVs and streaming devices. The company reaches half of U.S. broadband households. This large viewership led to 35.8 billion total streaming hours on its platform in the first quarter, representing a year-over-year increase of 16%. This opens up a lot of opportunities for growth over the long term, as evidenced by a recent deal with Amazon. Roku just announced an integration with Amazon Ads, which could have a significant impact on Roku's advertising revenue. This partnership will allow advertisers to access 80% of U.S. connected TV households through Amazon's demand-side platform, sending more business to Roku. The streamer's revenue grew 16% year over year in the first quarter, indicating more advertising by big brands that want exposure to its large user base. This reach provides tremendous negotiating power with content providers, retail brands, and other media companies that would like access to Roku's audience. The stock is priced at a 2.74 price-to-sales multiple, which is at the low end of its past trading range. As Roku continues attract more advertising investment, investors who patiently hold the stock will be rewarded. Before you buy stock in RH, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and RH wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Roku. The Motley Fool recommends RH. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Top Stocks to Buy Now at Big Discounts and Hold for Years was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data