Don’t Waste Durham Continues During COVID

Don’t Waste Durham update during COVID-19, August 2020

Don’t Waste Durham is a local non-profit whose mission is to create solutions that prevent trash.

We solve problems at a systems level by demonstrating what is possible when we combine innovation, technology, and existing infrastructure. Our innovations give consumers and businesses alternatives they can use now.

We believe non-profit organizations play an important role in demonstrating possibility and leading the way to scaling ideas that are good for people, the economy, and the planet. We advocate and build awareness to help shift attitudes and behaviors. And we lead bold, evidence-based policy changes that support a trash-free future.

Don’t Waste Durham’s largest project is GreenToGo. GreenToGo is a reusable to-go container service which takes the trash out of takeout at restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores city-wide. Our circular system eliminates the waste generated by single-use takeout containers.

We provide full-cycle service of pickup, wash, delivery – and highly durable containers that can be returned, sanitized, and reused over and over again. Each GreenToGo container can replace up to 1,000 single-use takeout containers and prevent them from clogging stormwater and piling up in landfills.

56 uses of our takeout containers offset the same amount of carbon emissions as an acre of forest for a year. We are currently working to expand our services to include GreenToGo Pizza, more restaurant partners, a community dinner club, and door-step pick-up of used containers for GreenToGo subscribers. 

When the Covid-19 lockdown began, physical distancing required GreenToGo to temporarily pause its wash operations. During that time, GreenToGo was available to customers in GreenToGo restaurants, but we could only restock those restaurants with our remaining clean inventory rather than washing more. Thanks to a new partnership with Geer Street Garden, we started wash operations again after a near 5-month hiatus.

Coronavirus has caused a significant uptick in takeout and delivery food, and this leads to more garbage. GreenToGo is the solution for trash-free takeout.

WE HAVE AN ONGOING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND EXPAND – AND SERVE OUR DURHAM COMMUNITY AND BEYOND!

Don’t Waste Durham has many other projects and programs that aim to create a trash-free Durham community. Learn more on their website, and by checking out our 2019 Impact Report.