The Bow Valley is a unique and beautiful place.
Working together, we can take care of this place to ensure it stays this way, now and far into the future, by shifting away from disposables towards reuse.
Why Switch to Reusable Food ware?
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Businesses can save money by switching to reusable food ware. Depending on the reuse model, the increased purchase costs and dishwashing are offset over time. Some models offer turnkey solutions that include collection and dishwashing, making the switch easy and convenient. Reduced waste also reduces waste management costs for businesses and municipalities.
More and more businesses are offering services and solutions – see our directory for businesses that are operating in the Bow Valley.
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Millions of people come to the Bow Valley each year to experience the beauty of this place. We have a responsibility to protect nature and keep our towns clean.
Reusable food ware is better for the environment on every measure - waste, water, pollution, land use and emissions. For instance, after just 50 uses, real plates are better for the environment than PLA clamshells – not even a day’s worth of customers on a busy weekend in the Bow Valley!
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The tourism plans for Canmore Kananaskis and Banff Lake Louise are about regenerative tourism – attracting visitors that care about the environment and sustainability. By participating in environmental initiatives, this is your chance to gain a competitive advantage and be a leader.
Customers are ready for reusables. Our community engagement in 2022 showed high levels of local support for a reusable container program. Offering reusable containers has been shown for many businesses to increase brand loyalty and repeat customers. For tourists from places like Europe, reusable food ware is already becoming the norm; it’s what they expect.
By joining dozens of local businesses switching to reusable food ware, you’ll be leading an enduring sustainable trend.
A Banff business used these reusable containers when they participated in the Banff Isn’t Disposable pilot in 2021.
What Other Options Are There?
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”! Remember, reduce comes first: preventing waste is always the best option. Recycling, composting, and greener disposables alternatives are good, but their benefits are much smaller than reducing overall consumption. Reusable food ware programs address the root problem of our waste – human consumption behavior.
Check out our chart below to examine food ware options for your business.
FAQs
Why isn’t compostable food ware the best option?
Municipal compost systems are designed to turn food scraps into usable, high-quality compost – NOT as a means to dispose of single-use take-away items. While fiber-based and plastic certified compostable food ware ARE accepted in both Banff and Canmore’s municipal waste streams, these materials do not add value to compost. Plastic compostable food ware simply breaks down into carbon dioxide and water in the composting process.
Another problem is when people put items in the wrong bins, this causes contamination, which can cause costly problems for waste operations. For instance, compostable plastic is commonly put into the recycling bin but it has to be pulled out on the sort line and thrown away as garbage.
Certified compostable food ware must have one of the two logos to be accepted in Banff and Canmore’s food waste bins. (Beware of materials labelled “biodegradable” or that do not have one of the two logos below - these items belong in the garbage.)
For a summary of the different issues associated with compostable food ware, see this research summary by Oregon DEQ.