As a person who cares about the environment, a steel vacuum mug for coffee and matching water bottle are companions that live with me when I\u2019m out and about. When I order food for takeaway or delivery, I\u2019m (almost always) left with a disposable packaging problem. Containers and packaging made up nearly one-third of U.S. municipal waste<\/span><\/a> in 2018, while <\/span>EU estimates from the same period put the number of takeaway containers being used a year at 2025 million<\/span><\/a>. Those figures appear to have <\/span>gone up, not down, since the pandemic<\/span><\/a>. What if there were a different way? You guessed it: This is exactly what Topanga<\/a> is building toward with its recent $3.6 million funding round.<\/span><\/p>\n Topanga\u2019s growth strategy is following the path laid by Facebook and Tinder and using college campuses as its platform for its re-use program, so that packaging can be tracked and returned using a QR code. There are even rewards for participation. It\u2019s currently in use on six college campuses and Topanga\u2019s CEO, Page Schult, explained why they opted for the college model.<\/p>\n A QR code tracks the various containers through the circular system. Image Credits:<\/strong>\u00a0Topanga<\/p>\n<\/div>\n First, college campuses make it easy for people to return packaging. Second, it\u2019s easier for companies to track their packaging when its use is limited to a restricted area. Third, it helps it to become habit-forming among a generation of people who will go out into the world and continue to expect this type of re-use operation.<\/p>\n Reusable containers are a thing \u2014 Algramo is solving this problem<\/a> for the U.K. and Chile, Pyxo<\/a> and Bibak are tackling the problem<\/a> in France and Dispatch Goods<\/a> is going after the U.S. market. It\u2019s a big enough problem that there\u2019s space for a lot of different players for now, and testing multiple variations of the solution is a good thing, in my opinion. Partnering with a major food delivery service like Grubhub is likely a great way to find product\/market fit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re ingraining a new behavior in a generation of young people who will carry it with them through life,\u201d said Schult, highlighting the size of the market: \u201cThe college market in the U.S. alone is a $3.6 billion+ market opportunity. Factoring in campus-adjacent markets like corporate dining systems and universities in Canada, Australia and the EU, this market opportunity continues to grow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n If Topanga does scale as Schult expects that it will across college campuses and into similar food provision markets, it estimates that it can eliminate 19% of global GHG emissions. Furthermore, it thinks it could save the economy $120 billion a year in plastic that is thrown away for no good reason, as well as eliminate 222 million tons of CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emissions.<\/p>\n For Schult, the rewards \u2014 not just for Topanga, but society as a whole \u2014 are huge.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, our mission is to build circular systems that drive measurable environmental and economic ROI without creating unnecessary waste,\u201d said Schult. \u201cIf we\u2019ve been successful 10 years from now, reusable packaging will have proven to be not just a sustainable choice, but a savvy business decision for companies and supply chains around the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n From Topanaga\u2019s perspective, the time is right now to introduce these changes. For a start, technologically, the world is in a position that can support the easy tracking, return and re-use of packaging. But also, people want to be able to make simple changes that are better for the environment.<\/p>\n Page Schult, Max Olshansky and Adam Bailey, co-founders of Topanga. Image Credits:<\/strong> Topanga<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe ordering and fulfillment experience has evolved enormously in the past few years,\u201d said Schult. \u201cWith mobile ordering platforms, mobile payments and new delivery services, these technological shifts have made our platform possible. We\u2019re a part of this. For example, this fall, Topanga-tagged reusable containers will be delivered to students in zero-emission Starship robots at Colorado State University.\u201d<\/p>\n As well as its funding round led by Amasia, with participation from Struck Capital and Wonder Ventures, Topanga is also directly embedded into Grubhub\u2019s UI and has deals with the three largest food distributors in the U.S.: Aramark, Sodexo and Compass.<\/p>\n I\u2019m surprised that Topanga has opted for reusable plastic packaging. After all, it\u2019s still derived from petrochemicals, and there\u2019s still a temptation to dispose of it as you would any other disposable plastic, either through habit or convenience. I wonder if tempered glass or even something as simple as metal would be better options; tiffins have been in use for a couple of hundred years at least. All of \u2019em can be reused infinitely and people will be less likely to chuck them away. But, Topanga\u2019s is a step in the right direction, and perfect shouldn\u2019t be the enemy of good. Maybe that\u2019s for another day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Topanga-Team-Large.jpeg\")
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