Most people visit the Toronto Zoo to see the animals. Jacquie Hutchings was there to watch people toss reusable containers and cups into matching bins.
“I always say every container returned is someone who actively decided to make a difference in the world,” said Hutchings, co-founder of Friendlier, the Guelph-based startup behind the reusable containers and Coca-Cola cups now in use at the zoo. “Whether or not it was conscious or subconscious, they dropped it into the right location, and we got it back.”
The moment marked a major milestone for Friendlier, a new partnership with the Toronto Zoo, Coca-Cola, and Compass Group Canada that’s replacing single-use meal containers and fountain drink cups at the zoo with reusable, branded Coca-Cola cups made by Friendlier.
“Guests can return them to a drop-off bin. They’ll come back to us, we’ll wash and sanitize and put them back out,” Hutchings said. “It’s the first of its kind in Canada where we’ve worked with Coca-Cola to implement a wide-scale reuse system. So it’s very exciting.”
Friendlier was founded in 2020 by Hutchings and co-founder Kayli Smith, who were inspired by their experiences studying in Sweden, where sustainability and circular systems are part of daily life. Their vision is to make it easier for Canadians to reduce waste without disrupting their fast-paced routines.
Since launching, the company has expanded to over 200 locations across Ontario, including a launch in Vancouver in January 2024. Its newest facility in Guelph, located on Clair Road West, includes industrial-scale dishwashing equipment to clean and process reusable containers efficiently.
From a shoestring startup working with food programs to now partnering with multinationals like Coca-Cola, Friendlier’s rise has been anything but conventional.
“We were pretty broke when we started,” Hutchings said. “We convinced [a local organization] to just purchase containers from our supplier, put their meals into them, and then we would collect them back. We started getting handwritten notes inside the containers saying, ‘Thank you so much. I’ve been so troubled by the amount of plastic waste I get daily. This is awesome.”
Friendlier provides reusable cups and containers to restaurants, schools, cafés and corporate campuses. Customers return used containers into clearly marked blue bins, which are collected, sanitized, and recirculated. Each container can be reused up to 100 times before being recycled.
As of 2024, Friendlier says it’s helped prevent over 520,800 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, diverted more than 179,800 kilograms of plastic waste from landfills, and saved over 24.8 million litres of water.
“We’re tapping into the habits people already have,” Hutchings said. “They just take their meal when they’re done, they throw the container in the return bin instead of the garbage.”
Local impact is also growing. Friendlier has rolled out its blue containers at Farm Boy locations in Waterloo Region, at Wilfrid Laurier University, and at several independent local cafés and restaurants.
“We just got into the Farm Boy in both Kitchener and Waterloo, and now people are messaging us that they’re so excited it’s there,” Hutchings said. “There’s that major community aspect.”
Friendlier’s growth has been supported in part by the local tech ecosystem. The startup is a member of the Communitech community, where Hutchings participates in a peer group alongside other startup leaders.
“Starting a company is not easy. There are a lot of bumps in the road,” she said. “Having other people who get it and who’ve been there is really nice. Even if you’re just telling them how you feel and they understand, it’s really powerful.”
Friendlier has also received support from FedDev Ontario, VERGE Capital, and partners like local manufacturer Omnia Packaging. In 2023, Friendlier’s co-founders were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Impact.
“We still have a long way to go. We’ve made a huge impact so far, but there’s still a lot of single-use packaging out in the world,” she said. “I’m just excited for the day when this becomes the norm and single-use packaging is a thing of the past.”
