Toronto, ON - Friendlier, Canada’s leading reuse solution, has raised $4.5 million CAD in funding to accelerate its mission of making reuse more accessible, scalable, and competitive with single-use packaging. This milestone brings the company’s total funding to over $10 million CAD since its founding in 2019.

The round included Good & Well and Relay Ventures, with continued participation from investors aligned with Friendlier’s vision for a future without food and beverage packaging waste.

In the last year, Friendlier has more than tripled its impact, reaching over 3.3 million containers reused across Canada. The company has launched high-profile partnerships with major brands like Coca-Cola Canada, Farm Boy, and expanded into institutions such as the University of British Columbia, as more campuses and companies commit to achieving net-zero goals.

"This isn’t just about takeout containers - we’re proving that reuse can scale across formats, sectors, and brands, with Friendlier as the foundational solution provider. This funding allows us to deepen our infrastructure and make reuse a seamless, scalable alternative to single-use" said Kayli Smith, Co-founder & CEO of Friendlier.

To meet growing demand, Friendlier is evolving its system through product and technology innovation to work seamlessly across diverse food service environments, from hot beverages and catering to retail grab-and-go. This flexibility makes the platform scalable across brands and retailers, supporting collaboration through a simple and data-driven system that can replace 100 per cent of rigid single-use packaging in food service. By expanding beyond the traditional dining hall, Friendlier is helping operators reduce waste and integrate reuse into every part of their operations.

To enable brands to scale reuse with ease, Friendlier is deploying capital-light, high-capacity micro-sanitation hubs - proprietary facilities that leverage automation and advanced logistics to process reusable packaging at scale. These replicable units form the backbone of Friendlier’s growing network, solidifying its position as the go-to reuse platform for businesses looking to move beyond single-use.

“The magnitude of plastic pollution from single-use packaging underscores the urgent need for investment in innovative reusable solutions like Friendlier. Friendlier’s end-to-end solution has the potential to reach significant scale and help catalyze the system-wide change needed to protect our planet for generations to come” said Jonathan Shui, Director of Investments of Good & Well.

Friendlier is now trusted by hundreds of partners across the country, from retailers to national institutions. Its closed-loop system handles the full lifecycle of each container, from delivery and collection to washing and reporting, helping businesses eliminate waste without adding complexity.

About Friendlier

Friendlier is the leading clean-tech company in Canada, dedicated to simplifying the switch from single-use to reusable packaging. With our innovative turnkey reusable packaging solution, we aim to revolutionize the way businesses approach packaging by making sustainability easy and accessible. Our mission is to drive positive environmental impact while offering convenience and cost savings. 

Friendlier was founded in 2019 by Kayli Smith and Jacqueline Hutchings, Chemical Engineering graduates from the University of Waterloo with a passion for sustainability. Friendlier aims to build a future where reusable packaging can replace single-use packaging. Their high-quality reusable food and beverage containers, simple app to claim deposits, and convenient returns make it easy for users to enjoy their favourite meals without the waste.

To keep up with the latest updates from Friendlier, visit www.friendlier.com and follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For Friendlier media inquiries, please contact:

Sarah Madeley

Executive Assistant, Friendlier

sarah.m@friendlier.com