The Green Solution

The ins and outs of Boulder’s reusable container program.

In a perfect two-birds-one-stone scenario, Boulder is teaming up with Repeater, a company that provides restaurants with reusable takeout containers—and then collects them. The partnership reflects the city’s commitment to recycle, compost, and reuse 85 percent of its waste by 2025. If restaurants jump on board, the program could also solve many of their packaging woes. “We replace disposable containers with replaceable ones,” says co-founder and chief technology officer Ashwin Ramdas. “It’s the most eco-friendly packaging solution.”

In theory, it’s also easy to use: Consumers download the Repeater app, which lists participating restaurants. When ordering pickup or delivery through the eatery’s platform, they simply request the containers. When finished with a meal, diners either return the reusables to a designated drop-off bin or ask for them to be picked up at their home. Repeater then sanitizes the containers and refills the restaurants’ stock. 

On the business end, restaurants are only charged for what they use, and the cost per container tends to be about 25 percent lower than regular containers, says Ramdas. Intrigued? Find out more by emailing info@repeater.com.