Find a Participating Business in Local Reuse Partner Program (aka the BYO – Ithaca Reduces Sticker Program)

Program note: Customers are responsible for bringing clean containers. Participating food establishments decide whether and how to accept customer-provided containers consistent with their own procedures and applicable food-safety requirements. Zero Waste Ithaca provides public education and outreach only.

Take a tour of the map below to find ~100 local businesses and organizations proudly part of our Local Reuse Partner Program, also known as the BYO – Ithaca Reduces Sticker Program that started with the BYO (Bring Your Own) containers campaign with the inspiration from Zero-Waste Chef’s blog post.

Business owners and organizational leaders:
Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating in the program.

Businesses and organizations display our stickers to show their commitment to reuse and sustainability. Some welcome customers who bring their own (BYO) utensils, napkins and containers for refill, some participate in Skip the Stuff (utensils etc. by customers’ requests only), and others contribute to a more circular local economy by keeping usable materials out of the waste stream, such as thrift stores. The sticker program provides a simple, visible way to encourage waste reduction and community participation. See our sticker designs here.

The map above highlights three initiatives, shown with color-coded pins below.

🟢 BYO (Bring Your Own)
🔵 BYO and Skip the Stuff (Combined) for businesses that provide utensils and similar items only upon request
🟡 Circular Economy for thrift stores and non-food businesses

Keep scrolling to explore the list of these supportive businesses. The list is in alphabetical order, categorized by cuisines and types of businesses.

Our partner guidelines are very simple. This is not a certification or compliance program; but It is a way to recognize and highlight businesses and organizations that are already helping reduce waste through real reuse, sharing, repair, refill, durable goods, or other practical waste prevention efforts.

The basic ethos is:

prioritize waste prevention and reuse before recycling
support sharing, repair, refill, borrowing, and longer product life
avoid false solutions and greenwashing, including programs that mainly shift disposable products into questionable recycling schemes
make waste reduction accessible and practical for the community
help normalize reuse as part of everyday life

For example, we are cautious about mail-back recycling programs for hard-to-recycle plastic items because they can create the appearance of a solution without addressing the underlying problem of disposable product design and overproduction. This Beyond Plastics fact sheet explains some of those concerns.

Beyond Ithaca, we campaign to amend the “Rights to Refill” BYO bill in New York State, and work actively with BYO programs across the country through the network BYO – US Reduce. We welcome business / organizational sign-ons for the petition as well. Please click on the link at the top of the petition page.