Canada’s exclusive homegrown food delivery service, SkipTheDishes, has unveiled a pioneering reusable packaging pilot initiative in Calgary. This initiative aims to offer local residents eco-friendly alternatives to disposable plastic, in collaboration with the Calgary-based social enterprise Earthware Reusable Inc. SkipTheDishes is dedicated to assisting its extensive network of restaurant partners across Canada in delivering a more sustainable takeout experience to customers.
As part of this pilot program, SkipTheDishes customers in Calgary, Alberta will have the option to order from participating restaurants that have transitioned to Earthware reusable containers for their takeout orders. After enjoying their meals, customers can return the containers and lids for a refund at one of the 13 central bottle depots in Calgary at their convenience. This can be done in conjunction with the drop-off of other recyclables like bottles and cans. Earthware then carefully washes, sanitizes, and inspects each reusable container before redistributing them to all participating restaurants. Customers can easily identify these restaurants offering Earthware packaging by clicking on the Earthware banner within the Skip app, which lists all participating eateries.
John MacInnes, Founder of Earthware, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, “We’re thrilled to partner with SkipTheDishes to help deliver a greener future in Calgary and further our mission of stopping 100,000 single-use containers from going into landfills by 2025.” He highlighted that this collaboration would extend their reach to more restaurants interested in making the shift from single-use to reusable packaging, providing customers with more opportunities to enjoy takeout without ecological concerns.
At launch, more than 20 local restaurant partners in the Skip network in Calgary have joined the Earthware pilot program, with the potential for additional restaurants to adopt sustainable packaging. Earthware also has plans to expand to neighboring communities in the coming year, including Edmonton, Canmore, and Banff.
Loraine Nyokong, Head of Local Partnerships at SkipTheDishes, emphasized the platform’s unique potential to drive positive, eco-conscious change within the food delivery industry. She noted that Calgarians already make over 1.7 million visits to Alberta bottle depots each year to recycle beverage containers, with an 84 percent return rate on bottles and cans. Through this pilot partnership, SkipTheDishes aims to encourage local residents to return their takeout containers during these trips, contributing to environmental sustainability.
This initiative follows SkipTheDishes’ successful pilot programs in Southern Ontario and Vancouver, where they collaborated with local reusable packaging companies Friendlier and ShareWares. These partnerships continue to operate on the Skip network in these regions. By teaming up with innovative startups like Friendlier, ShareWares, and now Earthware, SkipTheDishes remains committed to supporting its network of restaurant owners in offering customers a more sustainable takeout experience nationwide.
About SkipTheDishes:
SkipTheDishes is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, a prominent global online food delivery marketplace that connects millions of customers with over 50,000 restaurant partners in Canada.
SOURCE SkipTheDishes
CONTACT: SkipTheDishes: media@skipthedishes.ca
