Our services
Coffee Cups
Easy, convenient reusable service. You take a cup, pay a $5 deposit fee and enjoy! Thank you to our amazing partners all around Vancouver Island who offer our service.
Containers
Now available! A reusable take-out container service -2 styles. Get your lunch to go, enjoy it and take back the container. The sustainable way to do take-out. Say no to disposable!
Public Speaking & Other Ideas
We love raising awareness. Connect for a talk at your school or conference.
What's next? Educate the younger generation!
Reusable Glasses
Launched in 2021! A reusable glass service for events, weddings, and beer gardens. The zero waste way to enjoy a drink at your favorite show or market.
HOW IT WORKS?
Step 1
Visit a partner coffee shop, eatery or retailer and ask for your Nulla cup or container. Pay a $5 refundable deposit.
Step 2
Enjoy your drink or meal to go or to stay! Feel good about reducing waste.
Step 3
Reuse your Nulla cup or container, get a freshly cleaned one at any partner location or return it to get a refund. Share your experience online using #nullavictoria!
ABOUT US
Nancy & Caroline
Co-Founders
Nancy & Caroline
Co-Founders
Every great dream begins with a dreamer – Harriet Tubman
Nulla means Zero or Nothing in latin.
Did you know 50% of the garbage in major Canadian cities are single-use cups? And that Victorians are responsible – in 2021 – for an average of 25,000 discarded single-use cups per day?
Caroline & Nancy had an idea in 2018 to start a reusable service with coffee cups and containers in our lovely city, Victoria BC. We had the opportunity to participate in Synergy Sustainability’s Project Zero Incubator Program in 2019 and start our venture. We want people to have a green and convenient option when they order to-go drinks or food. We are pleased to see so many other companies like ours growing in the world. Don’t forget: Reuse Wins!
What our partners say
We’re so stoked to get on board with this you guys. I remember first learning about your company/project a few years ago at the Sustainability Conference in Victoria, before we realized we would be in the coffee game.
Our customers love the convenience of using Nulla containers for our Grab and Go food options. The deposit system is simple and easy. Our deli team find the containers sturdy and fit a variety of different meals. I am glad we have found a reusable program that works for us. Nulla has been a success!
🌎 Throughout April, we celebrate & feature the amazing sustainable and environmentally friendly small businesses that are making a big difference in our community!
Visit this website to see the list of growing partners throughout Greater Victoria and grab your next coffee guilt-free!
Surfrider Foundation Vancouver Island is stoked on this project. Each year up to 15,000 coffee cups are collected off of Canadian shorelines and locally remain one of the top items we collect off our local beaches every month. So we know first hand that this initiative will make a direct impact for good! Thank you Nulla for bringing this project to Victoria!
We are so excited for the Nulla project to take flight!! A reusable cup and container program is exactly what Victoria needs to
drastically reduce the amount of single-use waste in our city. The vision and leadership Nulla is demonstrating is a beautiful example of what can be
done to to protect our environment and change consumer behaviours, one container at a time!
The Om Work Project was so happy to have Nancy and Caroline from The Nulla Project at our fundraiser in December. The team was so easy to connect and plan with prior to our event, especially being a new business! Nancy and Caroline participated in our event and provided a great experience for our guests, teaching them about their amazing sustainable business. Our guests loved the option of using a reusable cup for their beverage and we were so happy to have a waste-free event. We look forward to collaborating again with them for our future events!
I wanted to let you know we (Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce) are loving the Nulla cups we have in our office. We acquired them through Synergy.
FAQ
WHERE CAN I RETURN MY CUP or CONTAINER?
Cups and containers can be returned to any participating Nulla Project partners in exchange of a clean cup or container, $5 or a token (only at certain locations). Find the map under the “Network” section of our website.
CAN I KEEP MY CUP or CONTAINER?
Yes, you can keep your cup and container! We do encourage all customers to keep them in circulation. They are durable and will last for over 300 uses.
Can I still use my Nulla Cup or container during the pandemic?
Yes! The BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) has indicated to businesses that they may resume normal activities such as refilling reusable coffee mugs and water bottles, allowing reusable containers for takeaway and the use of reusable grocery bags. As long as the establishments are implementing safe cleaning and sanitizing schedules there is very little chance of virus contamination. Reusable cups are a great way to participate in the circular economy, reducing your carbon footprint and helping eliminate single-use items and plastics. Read the World Health Organization’s recommendations for food consumers here, and note their finding that “the most important thing to know about coronavirus on surfaces is that they can easily be cleaned with common household disinfectants that will kill the virus.” The BC CDC has also confirmed that COVID-19 transmission from handling reusable containers has not been documented.
WHAT ARE THE CUPS and Containers MADE OF?
They are made of reusable and recyclable polypropylene. Our cups are double-all insulated to protect your fingers from heat, Our containers are made from > 50% recycled plastic. They are both BPA free and dishwasher safe.
ARE DAMAGED OR INCOMPLETE CUPS and Containers REFUNDABLE?
Damaged or incomplete cups and containers will not be eligible for a refund. You can contact us directly at info@thenullaproject.ca to return your damaged or incomplete cups or containers. We will ensure they are repurposed or recycled at the end of life.
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
Despite our very best efforts, we were unable to source a local manufacturer at this time, but we are working on it. Our cups and containers are manufactured in North America in a unionized factory, which is top tier of ethical sourcing. Our cups were sourced by a Vancouver B Corporation company.
WHat if i experience financial difficulty?
do you partner with events and festivals?
WHY ARE NULLA CUPS AND CONTAINERS THE BEST OPTION?
Nulla cups and containers are reusable, durable and easily recyclable at end of their life. They can be reused 300-400 times on average. That’s a lot better than single-use cups and containers which are often not recycled and have an average lifespan of 13 minutes!
In addition, biodegradable and compostable plastic food ware is designed to be single-use and consumes significant resources and energy in production, just as conventional single-use plastic and paper does. Even if labelled as certified, these biodegradable and compostable plastic materials do not decompose as designed in our regional compost facilities. Most compostable plastics are screened out at regional composting facilities.
With the Nulla cup and container program, you can feel great about reducing waste without having to worry about remembering to bring your travel items or even cleaning them.
Nulla is located on the traditional lands of the Xwsepsum and Lekwungen ancestors and families.