3 Eateries Participating In Middletown's Reusable Container Initiative

MIDDLETOWN, CT – City of Middletown Public Works has launched a reusable containers initiative with three local restaurants.

The city created the program Fostering Circular Solutions for Takeout Containers with support from EPA Region 1 grant funding to address the issue of single-use takeout containers.

City officials said the single-use takeout containers are one of the top contributors to the waste stream, with 180 billion single-use containers produced and disposed of every year in the U.S. alone.

The Middletown eateries participating in the project are ION Restaurant, Perk on Main and Story and Soil Coffee.

Before establishing the program, Middletown had to choose a reusable container business to partner with, and after careful consideration, the city went with USEFULL.

USEFULL is a stainless-steel bowl made from recycled stainless steel and holds everything from a burger and fries to wraps and chips.

According to the website, their bowls and cups are easy to clean, stack and separate, are dishwasher-safe and feature a QR code on the base for a quick checkout; they have a silicone lid with dual edge to cover the bows and cups and keeps food and drinks at the right temperature for more than five hours.

The Center for EcoTechnology proposed the pilot with Middletown to showcase how communities of any size can catalyze the adoption of reusable takeout programs.

City officials said that working closely with the Center for EcoTechnology (CET) and USEFULL, Middletown’s Recycling Coordinator, Kim O’Rourke, aims to run the pilot through the fall of 2023.

City officials said the public looking to participate in the program can download the USEFULL app and start using reusable containers at their favorite local Middletown restaurant.