Sodexo Live! Launches Friendlier Reusable Wares Program at Vancouver Convention Centre
March 16th 2026
Canadian-made reusable containers debut during Gathering Our Voices Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Conference.
VANCOUVER, BC – March 16, 2026 – Sodexo Live!, the hospitality partner to the world’s most iconic venues, today announced the launch of Friendlier, a Canadian-made line of reusable food service containers, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The program will officially debut March 18–20 during the Gathering Our Voices Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Conference, where an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 boxed sandwich lunches will be served in reusable Friendlier containers.
The initiative represents an important step forward in Sodexo Live!’s ongoing commitment to reducing single-use waste and advancing sustainable hospitality practices across its venues.
“Introducing Friendlier at the Vancouver Convention Centre is an exciting milestone in our sustainability journey. This program allows us to meaningfully reduce single-use packaging while delivering the same high-quality hospitality experience our guests expect. We’re proud to partner with an innovative Canadian company and a venue that shares our commitment to environmental leadership.”
Friendlier manufactures its containers in Canada and utilizes a rigorous three-step cleaning and quality assurance process, enabling each unit to be reused up to 100 times. The company anticipates that each container reused will reduce emissions by approximately 80 percent, significantly reducing waste typically associated with single-use packaging.
“Vancouver Convention Centre is proud to work with Sodexo Live! and Friendlier to pilot this innovative program. As a double LEED® Platinum-certified facility, sustainability is at the core of everything we do. Initiatives like this help push our industry forward by demonstrating how events can be both exceptional and environmentally responsible.”
"Large events generate a significant amount of single-use packaging, but they also present one of the greatest opportunities to introduce reuse at scale. By partnering with Sodexo Live! and the Vancouver Convention Centre, we’re showing how major venues can replace disposable packaging with a simple, returnable system that reduces waste without changing the guest experience."
As one of North America’s most environmentally progressive venues, the Vancouver Convention Centre continues to advance sustainable practices in the meetings, events, and hospitality industry, making it an ideal partner for this innovative reuse program.
About Sodexo Live! Sodexo Live! manages prestigious convention, cultural and sporting venues and major events all over the world. With 40,000 employees and 500 sites, Sodexo Live! offers clients a range of bespoke catering, sales, and event management services, helping to transform the consumer experience into unforgettable memories. Sodexo Live! commits to unlocking customers’ full potential while favoring local communities. Sodexo Live! contributes to the success of prestigious events such as Royal Ascot, the Tour de France, Roland-Garros, the Rugby World Cup and the Paris 2024 Games and showcases exceptional venues such as the Eiffel Tower Restaurants, Bateaux Parisiens, Yachts de Paris, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Hard Rock Stadium, the Scottish National Galler and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
