The Conscious Kitchen: Growing Sales with Reusable Containers  

The Conscious Kitchen is a sustainable food business that offers a wide range of delicious prepared meals and grocery items from fresh, locally sourced, and sustainably farmed ingredients. The business operates on circular principles, recognizing the importance of reusing and repurposing products to minimize waste. It employs a circular packaging model involving the use of reusable containers for orders, which are collected, sanitized, and reused during the customer’s next delivery, all at no additional cost to the customer. The Conscious Kitchen aligns with SDGs 8, 10 and 12 by driving local economic growth, fostering an inclusive work environment, and reducing waste.  

In 2022, The Conscious Kitchen received a COIL grant and a Harvest Impact loan. These funding opportunities allowed the company to expand its business in the Guelph-Wellington area, purchase unique and aesthetically imperfect vegetables from local farms (which are traditionally challenging to sell), and further enhance their reusable container program.