Tim Hortons is a big deal in Canada. Almost every Canadian will tell you what their go-to order is – a double-double, a French Vanilla Cappuccino, a box of Timbits. (As a Canadian myself, I don't even know what these would be called anywhere else – "doughnut holes," perhaps?)

I'm not a huge fan of the coffee myself, preferring to seek out small, independently-owned, fair-trade coffee shops when I need caffeine on the go, but I am a big fan of Tim Hortons latest announcement that they're joining forces with TerraCycle's zero-waste food packaging initiative, Loop, to offer reusable coffee cups in the near future.

Tim Hortons has signed a deal with TerraCycle’s Loop program to test an option that would allow customers to pay a deposit and receive their order in reusable, returnable cups and food packaging. Once the customer is done they could return the cups and other containers to a participating restaurant and have their deposit refunded. Tim Hortons says the cups and food containers would then be cleaned, sanitized and used again. The test program is expected to start next year at select Toronto restaurants.

Once the customer is done they could return the cups and other containers to a participating restaurant and have their deposit refunded. Tim Hortons says the cups and food containers would then be cleaned, sanitized and used again. The test program is expected to start next year at select Toronto restaurants. Tim Hortons says it expects that over time, the Loop program will have a growing number of drop-off locations ― both at Tim Hortons restaurants and elsewhere.

Tim Hortons is introducing a new way for guests to enjoy their drinks or meals in a more sustainable manner, through reusable cups or food containers. In an effort to reduce single-use items, guests will be able to order food or drinks using reusable containers and cups that you can also return, according to a news release. Once returned, they would then be professionally cleaned and sanitized by Loop, the company partnering up with Tim Hortons. In order to use the reusable items, a deposit must be placed, and once you’re done, you can return them to get your money back at a participating Tim Hortons location.

Tim Hortons has partnered with TerraCycle to bring reusables to its restaurants, becoming the first QSR to join the company’s Loop recycling platform. Set to be piloted in Toronto next year, customers will be given the option to pay a deposit to receive their drink or food order in a reusable container. The containers are then returned to a restaurant, where they will be cleaned for reuse and the customer will get their deposit back. Loop is a TerraCycle program that has partnered with retailers and brands to create sustainable, reusable packaging for grocery, household and personal care products. Once used, the empty containers are returned in a milkman-style system using a tote, which is placed outside a customer’s home for Loop to pick-up, with the containers then cleaned by the company and returned to the customer for reuse. Customers will have their refills returned directly to their door.

The next Whopper you order may look a little different when you take it out of the bag. In fact, the bag may look different, too. Fans don't need to worry: Burger King's packaging is changing, but the Whopper itself is staying the same. Thanks to a partnership with the brand Loop, Burger King will soon test reusable boxes, bags, coffee and soda cups, and more packaging—and it may end up saving customers money. Loop is a "circular packaging service" specializing in zero-waste wrappers and storage containers. All of its products may be cleaned, sanitized, and reused. Starting next year, Burger King will test the new packaging: Customers who opt-in to receive the Loop wrapping pay a deposit, which is refunded upon return. Once the packaging is back in the hands of Burger King, it will be cleaned before its next use. (Related: How did Burger King sales do this year? Check and see if the burger chain is part of the 9 Restaurant Chains That Closed Hundreds of Locations This Summer.)

Beginning in 2021, quick-service restaurants Burger King in the U.S. and Japan and Tim Hortons in Canada will pilot reusable, closed-loop container programs through TerraCycle’s circular packaging platform, Loop, to help in their efforts to reduce packaging waste. The programs will give guests the option of paying a deposit for reusable and returnable cups or food containers with their order that will be refunded when the packaging is returned. For Burger King, the partnership is being launched as part of its company-wide sustainability framework. Says Matthew Banton, Head of Innovation and Sustainability, Burger King Global, “As part of our Restaurant Brands for Good plan, we’re investing in the development of sustainable packaging solutions that will help push the foodservice industry forward in reducing packaging waste. The Loop system gives us the confidence in a reusable solution that meets our high safety standards, while also offering convenience for our guests on the go.”