Returnable containers aim to reduce waste amid B.C. plastic bans

About once a month, Brenda Swansborough loads a reusable plastic bag full of empty glass jars into her car before heading to get a pint of ice cream.

The jars, which were once filled with ice cream, are part of a growing trend in Vancouver in which businesses offer food and beverage in returnable containers. 

"I think we're all conscious about what goes into our landfill," Swansborough said. "And [the program] takes you back into the store, so it's a win for everybody. It's a win for us and it's a win for them."

Instead of a plastic-lined paper container, Earnest's Ice Cream in Vancouver sells ice cream in pint-sized glass jars. Customers pay a $1 deposit when they buy a pint of ice cream, and get it back when they return the empty jars. 

 As Canadian governments look to crack down on plastic foodware, returnable containers offer Vancouver businesses an alternative that doesn't force customers to change their behaviour. Industry players say the returnables also help companies build sustainability into their brand.

ShareWares, a Vancouver-based food ware company, has built its business on selling, collecting, washing and reselling sturdy plastic cups, bowls and deli containers. Since its inception in 2021, its list of clients has grown to include Tim Hortons, Body Energy Club, and Skip the Dishes. 

During its busiest week so far, ShareWares had about 35,000 dishes in circulation, according to company founder Cody Irwin. He added clients return more than 90 per cent of dishes.

Country-wide bans on single-use plastics

The federal government estimates Canadians throw away more than three million tonnes of plastic waste each year.

As part of its goal to reach zero plastic waste by 2030, the federal government prohibited the manufacture, import and sale of plastic checkout bags, cutlery, food service ware, stir sticks and straws in Canada. 

Last year, the Federal Court ruled the regulations unlawful and invalid. The federal government appealed the ruling. At the time of publication, the matter is still before the courts, and Environment and Climate Change Canada's Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations remain in force.

British Columbians will no longer get plastic and Styrofoam takeout containers and will be charged fees for new shopping bags, as part of single-use plastic regulations that rolled out last month.

It's the latest part of the province's regulations on plastics, which started rolling out last December to align with federal regulations that are going into effect across the country.

Some businesses have responded to these regulations by adopting returnable containers. They allow customers to continue ordering to-go coffees and take-out meals in the face of single-use plastics bans. 

The case for reusables

Earnest Ice Cream has offered its product in a returnable glass jar since the company was launched in 2012. Co-owner Ben Ernst says the company saw 207,150 jars returned last year.

"I think [the program] has been hugely successful," Ernst said. "It also just really fits with our values of doing things differently."

He says participation in the program has only grown since it started. He estimates about 58 per cent of glass jars sold from their shops are returned. That's up from 12 years ago, when that rate was closer to 40 per cent.  

Ernst says the company is building a new washing facility to accommodate all the jars. He says the process is more expensive, but it's been built into the company's identity. 

"They really are a cornerstone of our brand, so we're doubling down on our commitment," he said. 

"It's a dead end to continue to just manufacture things, use them one time and throw them away."

ShareWares sells its returnable polypropylene packaging to order. After the foodware are used, either ShareWares or the client collects the dirty dishes and sends it to a ShareWares facility to be washed and resold. Each dish has a QR code and can be tracked. 

Irwin said a big benefit of using returnable containers is generating clientele. 

"You're getting more sustainable people that want to shop at your store," he said. "People are starting to get the ick factor with garbage."

But while these options still reduce the volume of plastic waste generated by Vancouver restaurants and cafés, some still eventually end up in the landfill.

Ernst said he doesn't track the life cycle of his company's glass jars. 

Irwin estimates ShareWares' thinner containers have a lifespan of approximately 50 uses, depending on how gently they're treated. He estimates other thicker dishes, like some mugs, can withstand more than 100 uses. 

Irwin said returnable containers are a step up from single-use plastics. 

"We don't need to boil the ocean right away with an infinitely-used product," Irwin said. "We just want to get people the food that they want in an easy way, so they can engage in sustainable behaviours without even knowing it."