Recirclable
Our Purpose
Recirclable provides reusable takeout containers and technology for container usage tracking, enabling restaurants to offer reusable takeout containers as a sustainable alternative to single use. The broader motivation for Recirclable: The US currently generates nearly 300 million tons of municipal waste each year, according to the EPA, and less than 25% of that is recycled. Only 10% of plastic produced is recycled, according to a study by Upstream Solutions. Over 70% of Americans order takeout up to 3 times per week (per the Ocean Conservancy), and takeout increased by 15% during the pandemic. That equates to billions of single use container waste every year. The majority of consumers do not realize most takeout containers are not recyclable. Further, compostable containers, perceived to be a green option, have been shown to have a greater negative environmental impact over their product lifecycle than other single use alternatives. According to the NGO Resolve (https://www.resolve.ngo), reuse can save up to 80% of climate emissions compared to single-use (recycling saves at most 15% compared to single-use). The opportunity is enormous, but the awareness of the magnitude of the problem is low, the availability of solutions is lacking and legislation in the US is lagging behind our Canadian and European counterparts.With all of this in mind, we feel the urgency to transition restaurants from a single use to a reuse culture, to make meaningful impact on takeout waste.