Latest news with #JasonHawkins
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vancouver company celebrates reusable food container success
While there are multiple ways to eschew single-use food takeout containers in favour of reusable ones, a Vancouver company says it has moving toward being a major player in the sector. was founded in 2021 by Jason Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku, then both in their mid-20s, as a way to address the scourge of single-use takeout containers they were seeing piling up in garbage cans, landfills — or even worse — as litter. "We just don't have any more time to sit and not do something," said Kiku at the time about their concept. Reusables finds a home at universities, country club The company provides businesses with reusable containers, which are given to customers at checkout without a deposit. Customers are only charged — between $5 and $10 — if the containers aren't returned to special bins that track them. It's a simple concept, which others are also doing, but comes with hurdles such as getting customers to change their habits to adopt the system. says the company recognized its system, now at places such as University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, is a good fit for where consumers, such as students and staff, return to the same place over and over again. "It really makes sense as a perfect closed-loop model where everyone is in that location," said Jasper Law, the company's product lead. "It's easy for them to know that they can bring it back to that place." Reusables also has improved its made-in-Vancouver return bins. Users scan their container to open the bin, meaning it's tamper-proof and can only be filled with Reusables containers. Law said a successful reusable-container business has to have a high rate of return to be viable. "What matters in these programs is return rate," he said. "So we are striving to get as close to 100 per cent as possible because every container loss needs to be replaced and that eliminates the value of the program." West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club is now using the system for its 8,000 members. Officials say member often received food or drink in single-use containers, but used them and discarded them on site, which created a garbage problem. "So we thought we should look for an alternative solution," said Caitlin Lundy, the club's director of sales and communication. The club says it's now saving between 8,000 and 10,000 units of paper cups, plastic lids and paper takeout containers per month. "So the initial cost of the system, it paid for itself within about two months," Lundy said. Company receives seed funding captured nearly $4 million in seed funding in April to help it expand further. "We're thrilled to be backed by the best tech and climate investors as we scale real impact, not just optics," said Hawkins in a release from the company. "Greenwashing won't solve the waste crisis — technology and execution will." Single-use item waste is a big problem to tackle in a "take, make waste society," said Denise Philippe, Metro Vancouver's National Zero Waste Council's senior policy adviser. Metro Vancouver has ambitious goals to reduce this type of waste and commended companies like for trying to make a difference. "I think there's lots of creativity and innovation that's happening in this space," said Philippe. "So kudos to both the reuse systems [and] system providers that are out there … scratching their heads … and trying to figure out how to make this work and make it work at scale and make it cost efficient."
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vancouver company celebrates reusable food container success
While there are multiple ways to eschew single-use food takeout containers in favour of reusable ones, a Vancouver company says it has moving toward being a major player in the sector. was founded in 2021 by Jason Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku, then both in their mid-20s, as a way to address the scourge of single-use takeout containers they were seeing piling up in garbage cans, landfills — or even worse — as litter. "We just don't have any more time to sit and not do something," said Kiku at the time about their concept. Reusables finds a home at universities, country club The company provides businesses with reusable containers, which are given to customers at checkout without a deposit. Customers are only charged — between $5 and $10 — if the containers aren't returned to special bins that track them. It's a simple concept, which others are also doing, but comes with hurdles such as getting customers to change their habits to adopt the system. says the company recognized its system, now at places such as University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, is a good fit for where consumers, such as students and staff, return to the same place over and over again. "It really makes sense as a perfect closed-loop model where everyone is in that location," said Jasper Law, the company's product lead. "It's easy for them to know that they can bring it back to that place." Reusables also has improved its made-in-Vancouver return bins. Users scan their container to open the bin, meaning it's tamper-proof and can only be filled with Reusables containers. Law said a successful reusable-container business has to have a high rate of return to be viable. "What matters in these programs is return rate," he said. "So we are striving to get as close to 100 per cent as possible because every container loss needs to be replaced and that eliminates the value of the program." West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club is now using the system for its 8,000 members. Officials say member often received food or drink in single-use containers, but used them and discarded them on site, which created a garbage problem. "So we thought we should look for an alternative solution," said Caitlin Lundy, the club's director of sales and communication. The club says it's now saving between 8,000 and 10,000 units of paper cups, plastic lids and paper takeout containers per month. "So the initial cost of the system, it paid for itself within about two months," Lundy said. Company receives seed funding captured nearly $4 million in seed funding in April to help it expand further. "We're thrilled to be backed by the best tech and climate investors as we scale real impact, not just optics," said Hawkins in a release from the company. "Greenwashing won't solve the waste crisis — technology and execution will." Single-use item waste is a big problem to tackle in a "take, make waste society," said Denise Philippe, Metro Vancouver's National Zero Waste Council's senior policy adviser. Metro Vancouver has ambitious goals to reduce this type of waste and commended companies like for trying to make a difference. "I think there's lots of creativity and innovation that's happening in this space," said Philippe. "So kudos to both the reuse systems [and] system providers that are out there … scratching their heads … and trying to figure out how to make this work and make it work at scale and make it cost efficient."
CBC
21-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Vancouver company celebrates reusable food container success
Social Sharing While there are multiple ways to eschew single-use food takeout containers in favour of reusable ones, a Vancouver company says it has moving toward being a major player in the sector. was founded in 2021 by Jason Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku, then both in their mid-20s, as a way to address the scourge of single-use takeout containers they were seeing piling up in garbage cans, landfills — or even worse — as litter. "We just don't have any more time to sit and not do something," said Kiku at the time about their concept. The company provides businesses with reusable containers, which are given to customers at checkout without a deposit. Customers are only charged — between $5 and $10 — if the containers aren't returned to special bins that track them. It's a simple concept, which others are also doing, but comes with hurdles such as getting customers to change their habits to adopt the system. says the company recognized its system, now at places such as University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, is a good fit for where consumers, such as students and staff, return to the same place over and over again. "It really makes sense as a perfect closed-loop model where everyone is in that location," said Jasper Law, the company's product lead. "It's easy for them to know that they can bring it back to that place." Reusables also has improved its made-in-Vancouver return bins. Users scan their container to open the bin, meaning it's tamper-proof and can only be filled with Reusables containers. Law said a successful reusable-container business has to have a high rate of return to be viable. "What matters in these programs is return rate," he said. "So we are striving to get as close to 100 per cent as possible because every container loss needs to be replaced and that eliminates the value of the program." West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club is now using the system for its 8,000 members. Officials say member often received food or drink in single-use containers, but used them and discarded them on site, which created a garbage problem. "So we thought we should look for an alternative solution," said Caitlin Lundy, the club's director of sales and communication. The club says it's now saving between 8,000 and 10,000 units of paper cups, plastic lids and paper takeout containers per month. "So the initial cost of the system, it paid for itself within about two months," Lundy said. Company receives seed funding captured nearly $4 million in seed funding in April to help it expand further. "We're thrilled to be backed by the best tech and climate investors as we scale real impact, not just optics," said Hawkins in a release from the company. "Greenwashing won't solve the waste crisis — technology and execution will." Single-use item waste is a big problem to tackle in a "take, make waste society," said Denise Philippe, Metro Vancouver's National Zero Waste Council's senior policy adviser. Metro Vancouver has ambitious goals to reduce this type of waste and commended companies like for trying to make a difference. "I think there's lots of creativity and innovation that's happening in this space," said Philippe. "So kudos to both the reuse systems [and] system providers that are out there … scratching their heads … and trying to figure out how to make this work and make it work at scale and make it cost efficient."
Associated Press
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Respected Roots Celebrates Community, Culture, and Connection at the 2025 Atlanta Jazz Festival
Respected Roots united culture and community at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Next stop: Phoenix, July 1–6, for the 87th Kappa Alpha Psi Grand Chapter event! 'It was beautiful to see our community come together through culture. It's about purpose, people, and giving back.'— Jason Hawkins, CEO of Respected Roots. ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2025 / / -- This past Memorial Day weekend, Respected Roots proudly participated in the iconic Atlanta Jazz Festival, one of the city's most vibrant celebrations of music, culture, and community. As soulful jazz filled Piedmont Park, our team was thrilled to connect with festivalgoers and share the essence of the Respected Roots brand. From loyal supporters to first-time customers, the atmosphere at our vendor booth was one of joy, unity, and curiosity. Guests engaged with our all-natural grooming and skincare products, asked questions, shared stories, and left with more than just a purchase—they left with a deeper understanding of who we are and what we represent. 'It was beautiful to see our community come together through culture,' said Jason Hawkins, Co-Owner of Respected Roots. 'It's about purpose, people, and giving back.' The Atlanta Jazz Festival offered a perfect opportunity to showcase Respected Roots' mission: to empower and elevate through quality grooming essentials rooted in heritage and pride. Each interaction at the booth served as a reminder of why Respected Roots exists—not just as a brand, but as a cultural movement. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who stopped by to support, connect, or simply vibe with us. Your presence fuels our passion. Next stop: Phoenix, Arizona. Join us at our upcoming event at The 87th Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Grand Chapter July 1st-6th as we continue to spread the Respected Roots movement nationwide. Stay connected with Respected Roots at and follow us on social media for updates, new releases, and future community events. Abeyon Gardner Respected Roots LLC +1 404-955-9484 email us here Visit us on social media: Instagram YouTube TikTok Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Agriland
24-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
‘All things came together' for Carbery Group in 2024
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Carbery Group, Jason Hawkins, has described 2024 has a year in which 'all things came together' for the business, following the release of its annual results. Carbery recorded what it called a 'strong financial performance' for 2024, with operating profit up approximately 20%, in yesterday's (Wednesday, April 23) announcement. Group turnover also increased for the year ended December 31, Carbery said. Revenue increased by 8% to €668 million, while group EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) increased by 12% to €52 million. Speaking to Agriland after the announcement, Hawkins said: 'It really is a year where probably all things came together in terms of all parts of the business performing well. 'Dairy markets improved in 2024 from 2023 so that helped on the revenue line, and obviously supported milk prices,' he said. Hawkins added: 'On the other side of the house, from a nutrition perspective, we're very focused on whey protein, both from a pricing perspective as well as a demand perspective. The protein demand is very strong so the whey, the nutrition side of the business, performed well. 'Across our taste platform, which has operations in the US, in Brazil, in Asia, and in Europe, all of those businesses performed well. 'The balance sheet is in a very healthy position, and also the fact that the board decided to allocate €8.6 million into the Stability Fund, really allows us from all those angles, particularly in times like we're living in – there's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of challenges potentially out there – we're well situated to handle a lot of issues that might come at us,' the Carbery CEO commented. He said that the Carbery business leadership is 'not arrogant, we're not getting ahead of ourselves, but certainly we're starting in a good position right now'. Carbery's milk pool is based in west Co. Cork, one of the areas of the country where there is a considerable focus on water quality and the nitrates derogation. 'On the derogation side, about 65% of our farmers are in derogation, so it is an issue for us here, and from a business perspective, probably more importantly from a farmer shareholder perspective, a lot of progress has been made,' Hawkins said. 'Going back to the launch of ASSAP (Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme) and other programmes…every one of our suppliers now has gone through the water assessment with the advisors,' he added. 'We're now taking actions and I think you are starting to see that come through on the most recent EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) report as well. 'Both in Carbery and the industry, we've been at it for years, but I think we really upped our game in 2024. You're starting to see those actions pay off now. And I think you'll continue to see them pay off in 2025 and beyond.' Although Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) said this week that milk supply across the the sector during this peak season is set to be very considerable, Hawkins does not envisage that the level of milk production will cause any capacity challenges for Carbery. 'I would say we're trending towards maybe slightly behind 2021 levels – now it's week-to-week. It's very strong at the moment. Obviously we didn't have any capacity issues in 2021, so no, I think we're confident that we can handle the milk that's going to come at us in 2025,' he said. On milk price, the Carbery CEO expressed confidence, despite the business reducing its price to suppliers for the first time in 2025 last week, for March milk supplies. 'I think markets have been fairly stable, at a decent enough level if you look at things like the Ornua PPI (Purchase Price Index) and you look at future markets and so on,' Hawkins said. 'Obviously there's been a small gap, we adjusted our own price recently. There's a small gap that does exist between where we're paying and where the market returns are, but I think that's small in the grand scheme of things,' he added. According to Hawkins, the 'outlook would be, at the moment, that milk price in 2025 will be an improvement on 2024'.
