Vancouver, BC, May 19, 2021 — UpMeals, the healthy, fresh and sustainable vending machine solution, announced today that it has partnered with ShareWares in an effort to further its sustainability mandate. ShareWares is a Vancouver-based company that sources and sanitizes reusable containers for local businesses. At present, all material and packaging in the UpMeals SmartVending machines are either recyclable or compostable; however this partnership is an important step away from single-use containers and toward a circular economy.
The program will launch in the UpMeals’ SmartVending machines with a corporate partner that will be assigned an allotment of reusable containers for their machine or machines. Once an employee is done with the container from their meal, it will be returned to a bin and picked up by ShareWares. It will then be sanitized and returned to UpMeals who will use the containers to package the meals that will then be delivered back to that partner’s machine.
“We know that many city compost and recycling programs aren’t perfect and the volume of waste created by the food industry is paramount,” said Drew Munro, CEO & Co-Founder of UpMeals. “This partnership will allow us to take that next step in working toward a zero waste, circular economy, reducing the amount of volume we add to recycling and composting streams and helping Vancouver in its vision to be a zero waste community by 2040. Cody really understood our business needs and was able to work with us to find a solution that worked for both us and our corporate partners.”
ShareWares is a convenient and affordable platform for the food and beverage industry to provide reusable containers to their customers. They help companies access reliable takeout container inventory, keep high standards of cleanliness for food safety, and produce less waste. ShareWare’s containers are BPA-free, melamine-free, can be used and washed hundreds of times, and are NSF certified which is the highest healthy and safety certification for food contact equipment.
“We love working with other innovative local startups with a passion for growth. This partnership is a win-win-win for our companies, Vancouverites, and our planet,” said Cody Irwin, CEO of ShareWares.
About UpMeals
UpMeals is a food accessibility solution on a mission to make healthy, nutritious meals available 24/7 via SmartVending machines or grab ‘n go retail bars. They provide custom, healthy, sustainably packaged meals that meet the highest food safety standards. Each meal is professionally white-labeled to create beautifully branded meals and SmartVending interfaces. A custom app provides data and feedback on sales and food availability so the business can make informed decisions and reduce waste.
About ShareWares
ShareWares sources and sanitizes reusable containers for cafés, restaurants, and other food and beverage businesses. Its closed-loop, tech-enabled platform involves streamlined delivery and reverse logistics, inventory tracking, and food-grade commercial washing services. They are on a mission to create city-wide reusable container ecosystems in Vancouver and beyond. Founded in March 2020, ShareWares is a division of Westcoast Healthy Vending Inc. in Vancouver, Canada.
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