Federal government spending $8.2 million to scale-up southwestern Ont. sustainable food packaging companies

From left: Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield, A Friendlier Company co-founders, Jacquie Hutchings and Kayli Dale at their facility in Guelph. (Chris Thomson/CTV Kitchener)

Three southwestern Ontario sustainable food packaging companies are getting a boost from the federal government.

Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield and Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario made the $8.2 million spending announcement in Guelph on Tuesday.

The government says the money will help the companies scale-up, reduce plastic waste and create over 120 jobs.

A Friendlier Company, where the announcement was made in Guelph, will get $500,000 to increase production in Guelph and Ottawa and add 10 new jobs.

The company, created by a pair of University of Waterloo graduates, collects and washes reusable food containers for restaurants.

“We've been in the space for about two years now and this is where all of the dishwashing happens for southwestern Ontario,” co-founder Jacquie Hutchings said, speaking at their Guelph facility. “We currently are washing about 10,000 to 12,000 containers per week. We're constantly growing and really the job and growth fund [that was] just announced will help us to grow that capacity even further so that we can continue to wash even more containers."

Unified Flex Packaging, based in Woodstock, is getting $4 million to increase production of its recyclable films for food packaging and pouches and create more than 60 jobs, the government said.

Guelph-based Omnia Packaging will receive $3.7 million to purchase new equipment to produce compostable and recyclable trays. The money will support the creation of 50 jobs, the government said.

“Canadians have been clear – they want to grow their local economy and ensure a clean environment for future generations. These three transformative companies are doing just that, paving the way for Canadian businesses to meet the demand for green products that reduce plastic waste,” Tassi said.