✊Join The Growing BYO (Bring Your Own) Movement With US Reduces!🌏

January 21, 2023

We're excited to highlight our affiliates Zero Waste Ithaca and Sacramento Reduces' grassroots BYO container outreach program to reduce food packaging waste. The program is simple: volunteers ask local businesses to display a sticker in their window to let customers know that the shop is happy to have customers bring their own containers for their purchases.

Yayoi Koizumi at Zero Waste Ithaca says, "US Reduces believes this seemingly uncomplicated grassroots BYO initiative has the potential to elevate people’s awareness about plastic pollution, normalize reuse behaviors, all while saving money and improving the image for participating businesses. Well-run BYO initiatives create positive buzz in the community and make great local news, and lead to more actions. The BYO Reduces effort offers a low-hanging fruit that is relatively easy to implement - and then some more."

Best of all, you don't need to live in Ithaca, NY to participate in this program. You can start a US Reduces effort in your own town or city! Visit the brand-new www.USReduces.org web site to learn more and to register for a virtual meeting on February 7 with Zero-Waste Chef and Tina Soldovieri, the founder of Canada Reduces. And in the meantime, please check out this interview with Tina on how to start a bring-your-own container program in your community.