Phel Meyer and Rich Grousset liked to eat out, a lot. The pair, recent graduates of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and the Environment, were amazed that every time they ate out (again: a lot), the food came in a different type of takeout container, be it recyclable, compostable or made from Styrofoam. Now, the pair was also concerned about waste, and understood the many benefits of reuse. All of which got them thinking: why not create reusable takeout containers and take the waste out of takeout once and for all? Enter BizeeBox, a reusable takeout container program soon to launch in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Here’s how BizeeBox works: Let’s say you have a serious craving for some Pad Thai, but have no desire to actually eat at the restaurant (the couch calls!). And so you place a to-go order, and pick up your steaming, delicious Pad Thai, NOT in a flimsy Styrofoam container, but in a microwavable, dishwasher safe, BPA-free reusable takeout container: a BizeeBox. Behind the scenes, the BizeeBox team has arranged with said Thai restaurant to put to-go meals in BizeeBox containers that have been washed in a commercial dishwashing facility according to FDA guidelines (read: the BizeeBox containers are very, very clean). Once you’ve finished indulging in the Pad Thai, you have thirty days to drop-off the container in a conveniently located BizeeBox return receptacle. So long as the BizeeBox container is returned before day 30, there is no charge for the container. And like that, you have reduced waste and saved the planet. No really, you have.
“Reducing waste is really important” explained Meyer. “With BizeeBox, our goal is to create a culture of reuse, of thinking of products– including takeout containers– as not just one time use items, but as returnable items that others can use and benefit from.” It’s not like this is a completely novel concept, the pair like to point out. Not too long ago, they reminded me, milk was delivered to houses in glass bottles. Once empty, the bottles were picked up, cleaned, refilled, and then… redistributed. For that matter, we reuse books, bikes, shopping bags and even clothing. Why not takeout containers, too?
Disposable takeout containers are ubiquitous and unnecessary. But even Meyer and Grousset know that for people to use the program, it has to be convenient. Even the most well-intentioned people are not necessarily apt to change their behavior unless it’s easy to do so. Meyer and Grousset’s goal is to make reusable takeout containers the default, easy choice. In doing so, a new norm will be created such that eating takeout from a BizeeBox is simply how takeout is done– just like you bringing your reusable bags to the grocery store is simply how bagging groceries is done.
After completing a successful pilot program at the University of Michigan last year, Meyer and Grousset are planning on launching the service in the City of Ann Arbor in 2014. They’re excited to get the service off the ground in the city that nurtured their idea. So the next time the couch calls and Pad Thai is in order, in time, the meal could be more than just delicious. It could support an awesome endeavor that promotes sustainability, further a culture of reuse, and get people thinking about how our choices impact the environment. Not bad for a takeout meal, not bad at all.
