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Bold Reuse, a Portland, Ore.-based firm that offers reusable plates and food containers together with environmental analytics, is establishing a presence in Seattle.
The company is working with Seattle Public Schools on a waste-cutting pilot project, and it also has long-term contracts with a Seattle private school and the catering company Lish.
Bold Reuse supplies consumers with durable plates, cups, and food containers, which the business collects — frequently on a daily basis — and replaces with cleansed and sanitized foodware. The products are made of durable polymers, glass, or steel. Reusable goods frequently replace single-use plastics and Styrofoam, which would otherwise end up in landfills or have limited recycling possibilities.
Bold Reuse serves fans of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and visitors to the Oregon Convention Center.
According to research, reusable dishes and containers save water, electricity, and natural resources when compared to single-use ones. Over the past year, the business has taken adjustments to make their own operations more efficient, reducing water use by 41% and energy consumption by 67%.
Receptacles for returning reusable cups
Bold Reuse has created a tool that allows consumers to calculate the quantity of waste they divert by utilizing its service. The company also controls customer inventory requirements and provides information on the loss, return, and replacement rates of reusable foodware.
The venture competes with r.Cup and parent company r.World, which provide reusable cups to customers such as Seattle’s WAMU Theater, which is part of Lumen Field, and Seattle’s ZooTunes at Woodland Park Zoo. Turn Systems, Pyxo, and Loop offer reusable dishware to clients worldwide.
Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena has gained recognition for its environmental initiatives, and last year became the world’s first sports stadium to receive Zero Carbon certification from a non-profit that promotes sustainable structures. The venue currently uses largely recyclable aluminum cups, but Rob Johnson, senior vice president of sustainability and transportation for the arena and the Seattle Kraken hockey team, supports Bold Reuse.
So far, the firm has received funding from angel investors. The company has 19 employees. The relationship with seven Seattle Public Schools schools is funded by a Washington state program that promotes trash reduction. In three weeks, Bold Reuse will begin operations in Kansas City, Missouri. Watkins also hinted at future deals on corporate campuses and with customers. The arrangement with Seattle Academy, a private middle and high school in Capitol Hill, was pushed by Griffin Schwartz, a high school senior.
