MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Aug. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compass Group Canada today announced a partnership with local Canadian sustainability start-up, Friendlier, that offers a circular reusable packaging system. In 2021, the country’s leading food service provider announced their Planet Promise, a global commitment to reach net zero GHGs by 2050. Today’s announcement builds on this commitment, positioning Friendlier as a key partner to help accelerate progress towards reducing and removing single use plastics from day-to-day operations. Compass Group Canada will deploy the sustainable packaging solution, starting within their Ontario locations in the coming weeks, with the intent to scale up as Friendlier expands across Canada. This commitment follows several successful, small-scale pilots of the packaging product over the past year.
Friendlier is a Canadian, female founded business, in market since 2020. The company started by launching their circular reusable packaging offering from a handful of restaurants in the Guelph area, now working with large-scale operations throughout the GTA. Their containers – a sturdy plastic container made using 24% less GHGs than a comparable product – offers consumers an opportunity to participate in a truly sustainable, full circle packaging process. The result is a significant decrease in the use of single serve products within foodservice and take-out environments.
“As a large food service provider, we have the opportunity and responsibility to make a meaningful impact on the planet – every decision we make, every container we can keep out of a landfill – that is critical in reaching our Planet Promise,” said Jana Vodicka, sustainability lead for Compass Group Canada. “We are excited to partner with a local, female-owned company who has developed an innovative way to eliminate single use plastic waste which is something we use every day in our operations. Given our size and scale, this is a significant positive move in fostering circular economies and moving away from the traditional use and dispose method,” she said.
With over 2,100 locations across Canada, Compass Group is poised to have a significant impact on single use plastic waste through this partnership. The company will supplement the containers and their associated return bins at foodservice locations with additional educational materials that share the full circle journey with guests – from initial use to pick-up by the Friendlier team, cleaning, sanitizing and redeployment into the market. Guests can also expect to understand how their participation has an impact through Friendlier’s ability to track and monitor use and therefore, the offset from single use items – a feature Compass Group Canada intends to continually share with participating teams.
“Our mission at Friendlier has always been to make reusable packaging as easy and as accessible as single-use. This partnership will allow thousands of people to access reusable packaging every day with very minimal changes to their normal routine,” said Jacqueline Hutchings, co-founder and COO at Friendlier. “We are excited to partner with Canada’s largest contract food service company to reduce waste and change the way people think about packaging.”
Compass Group Canada continues to invest in innovation across their business to find new ways to meet their Planet Promise. Through their annual food waste reduction campaign, Stop Food Waste Day, Compass Group is increasing awareness on the amount of food that is wasted each year and promoting waste-free recipes. The company’s decarbonisation strategy will be delivered through collaboration, innovation, and investment across its global operations, including specific actions such as:
- Transitioning fleet vehicles globally to 100% plug-in electric
- Switching to renewable electricity across all its own operations
- Reformulating menus to be low carbon and switch towards more plant-based proteins
- Increase sourcing from regenerative agriculture
- Focusing on packaging solutions to further reduce single-use plastic
- Reducing food waste by 50% across its operations globally by 2030
- Increasing share of seasonal and locally sourced produce
- Investing in climate positive projects worldwide to support decarbonisation, compensation and neutralisation including reforestation, biodiversity, freshwater, land and ocean initiatives
- Delivering a global deforestation-free and land conversion-free supply chain strategy
About Compass Group Canada
Compass Group Canada is Canada’s leading foodservice and support services provider with over 20,000 associates working in more than 2,100 locations throughout the country. The company specializes in providing foodservices and support services, including facilities management and vending services. Compass Group Canada works across core sectors including leading sports and leisure venues, executive dining rooms and cafes, schools, universities, seniors’ residences, and hospitals as well as remote camps and offshore oil rigs.
Compass Group Canada has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures in 2021, an award recognizing best-in-class Canadian organizations for having cultures that help enhance performance and competitive advantage, as well as a Great Place to Work® in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, as a Best Workplaces™ in Canada in 2022, Best Workplaces™ in Retail and Hospitality in 2021 and 2020 and as a GTA Top Employer in 2021. To learn more, visit www.compass-canada.com, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Friendlier
Friendlier is a Canadian, female-founded reusable packaging solution provider that is on a mission to eliminate single-use packaging. Their innovative technology makes it easy for businesses to implement reusable packaging programs, while tracking and quantifying their environmental impact. Friendlier was founded in 2019 by Kayli Dale and Jacqueline Hutchings, Chemical Engineering graduates from the University of Waterloo with a passion for sustainability.
Friendlier is Canada’s fastest growing reusable packaging solution and aims to build a future where reusable packaging can replace single-use packaging. Their high-quality reusable food containers, simple app to claim deposits, and convenient returns makes it easy for users to enjoy their favorite meals, without the waste. To learn more, visit www.friendlier.ca, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts
Compass Group Canada
Courtney Gardner, Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
Courtney.gardner@compass-canada.com
647-633-5420
Friendlier
Jacqueline Hutchings, Co-Founder, COO
jacquie@friendlier.ca
519-982-5685
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4205f9d4-9ed8-4fec-80a3-1c44fcf61e36
