DENVER — The City and County of Denver is helping small businesses save money and reduce waste by providing up to $1,000 to replace disposable service ware with reusable items.
Applications are currently open for Denver’s Zero Waste program, run by the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. The initiative aims to help food service businesses switch from paper plates, plastic utensils and paper cups to sustainable alternatives.
“If we can get folks to switch to something more sustainable, like a reusable plate, that’s a small step forward in our climate goals,” Becky Goyton said.
Goyton, a circular economy specialist for the city and county, said the program purchases the reusable items directly for the businesses in partnership with sustainability consulting agency Diversion Designers. The city has 15 slots available for the reusable incentive and hopes to fill them by the end of spring or early summer.
“They can reduce waste, but they can also save money, and they can even appeal to existing customers and new customers that want to see sustainability in their business,” Goyton said.
Kim Le, owner of Sesame Sandwiches in Denver’s West City Park neighborhood, opted into the program in 2024. Her Vietnamese American sandwich shop serves bah mi, rice bowls and spam musubis.
“We get scrappy here,” Le said. “$1,000 can go a very long way.”
The program replaced some of the disposable items at Sesame Sandwiches with glassware and aluminum trays, which Le said improved the customer experience and saved the business money.
“It’s an honor, honestly, to be part of this, because these are resources that were given to us,” Le said. “So, I find it as an opportunity to learn, and we’re able to educate out staff about it.”
In addition to the reusable service ware, Denver is offering up to $3,600 in composting services to up to 10 interested businesses.
“We hope… they’re saving money, and we hope they’re really proud of their efforts, and that they start to share what they’re doing with their customers and their peers,” Goyton said.
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