Canada: Meal kit provider Fresh Prep launches zero waste product

  • 23 February 2021
  • Start-ups
Kit is dishwasher safe and made with Bisphenol A-free reusable plastic and silicone parts

Vancouver-based meal kit delivery service Fresh Prep has introduced a zero waste kit, a reusable meal kit container that reduces waste from single-use plastic.

Delivered in Fresh Prep’s reusable and insulated cooler bags, the kit is dishwasher safe and made with Bisphenol A-free reusable plastic and silicone parts.

Fresh Prep was founded in 2015 and delivers to more than 20 municipalities across British Columbia. Last spring the company closed a C$7 million Series A funding round led by Renewal Funds for the development and launch of the kit.

Fresh Prep co-founder and chief operating officer Husein Rahemtulla said: “Single-use plastic is a well-known and pervasive problem in the food industry. As interest in meal kits continues to surge, we wanted to be leaders in innovating to minimise packaging waste. That is why we are excited to be offering this first-of-its-kind, zero waste kit to Fresh Prep customers.

“Since day one, we’ve experimented with innovative ways to make sustainability more accessible to our customers. We explored options such as mason jars and other packaging, but quickly realised that if we wanted to create a sustainable solution at a large scale, developing a reusable packaging solution that meets the needs of convenience and sustainability would be the best approach.”

Dhruv Sood, co-founder and co-chief executive at Fresh Prep, added: “When we started development three years ago, we knew we did not want to give our customers a band-aid solution to the plastic packaging problem. Not only did we need to develop the kit itself, but we also had to re-evaluate our entire business from the ground up. This required a complete overhaul of our production facilities and increased engineering capabilities to bring this solution to customers at a large scale.”

Zero waste recipes will be on the Fresh Prep menu starting next month, with nearly the entire menu moving to zero waste packaging over the coming months.