What Fill It Forward does

Fill It Forward, operating as a brand of Green Menu Inc., is a Canadian sustainability-technology company headquartered in the Toronto area that manufactures and distributes custom reusable products — primarily the Cupanion Bottle (upgraded to 50% recycled-content Tritan Renew in July 2025), tote bags, paper cups, and Fill it Forward Tags — integrated with a QR-code tracking system and a multi-feature mobile/web application. The underlying technology stack comprises QR/barcode tags scanned via the consumer app or a no-download web app, a Reuse365 program management platform with real-time impact reporting, group challenges, and templated engagement campaigns, plus an inventory tracking module (Borrow) for reusable container lending. The system has recorded 9+ million reuse events and unlocked $2M+ in donations to 500+ charitable projects across nine NGO partners.

The company sells primarily through direct enterprise sales (custom bulk orders with a 48-unit minimum) supplemented by a network of promotional products distributors (PPAI, ASI, SAGE, PPPC, CommonSKU), a consumer e-commerce storefront, and a Champion referral program. Revenue is generated via custom hardware product sales, technology platform access bundled with product purchases, licensed Fill it Forward Tags for third-party products, and sponsored-giving transactions tied to reuse activity. Target customers span five primary verticals: higher education, corporate/enterprise (including Salesforce, KPMG, Gilead, Workday, Genentech, and Twitter), events/conferences, foodservice/hospitality, and lodging/hotels (Marriott, Westin). Founded in 2015 as the Cupanion app for university campuses, Fill It Forward is a Certified B Corporation, 1% For The Planet member, UN Global Compact signatory, and Living Wage Canada certified employer, operating with 11–50 employees across 1,500+ organizations globally.

Name

Fill It Forward

Legal name

Green Menu Inc.

Website

https://fillitforward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fill It Forward is a Canadian sustainability-technology company that sells custom reusable bottles, bags, and cups integrated with QR-code tags, a consumer app, and the Reuse365 engagement platform to universities, enterprises, events, hospitality, and foodservice customers for tracking and gamifying reuse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Reusable Products and Reuse Tracking Platform

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF), Reusable Packaging & Container Return Programs (On-site) (BPABALAJ)

Keywords

• Reusable water bottles
• Sustainable promotional products
• Reuse tracking software
• Custom branded merchandise
• Environmental impact platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Reusable Products (Bottles, Cups, Bags, Tags): Sale of customized reusable water bottles, cups, tote bags, and Fill it Forward tags with minimum order quantities. Products feature company branding and integrated scanning technology. Products made in USA with screen printing up to 6 colors. Typical 10-12 business day turnaround.
2. Technology Platform / App Licensing: Fill it Forward app included with every product purchase. Organizations can license the technology to connect Fill it Forward tags to their own reusable products. Platform features include real-time impact tracking, group management, and charitable giving coordination.
3. Sponsored Giving / Charitable Donations: Per-scan donations to charitable projects. When users scan their Fill it Forward tag, a donation is unlocked supporting water, sanitation, and environmental projects globally through charity partners.
4. Reuse365 Program Management: Organizations can access tools to drive engagement, measure impact, and enhance their reuse programs through the Reuse365 platform with real-time data on participation and ROI.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fill It Forward designs, manufactures, and distributes custom reusable bottles, cups, tote bags, and QR-code tags that integrate with a mobile/web app and the Reuse365 platform. Each scan of a Fill it Forward Tag tracks reuse, logs environmental impact, and unlocks charitable donations to partner nonprofits. The company sells these custom products in bulk to organizations (minimum 48 units) and provides a technology platform for engagement, analytics, and program management.

Product overview

Fill it Forward is a sustainability technology company offering a platform combining branded reusable products (led by the Cupanion Bottle and Cupanion Tote Bag), a QR-code tagging system (Fill it Forward Tags), and a multi-feature mobile/web app. The core platform is Reuse365, which delivers real-time analytics, group challenges, and charitable giving coordination. Add-on modules include Borrow (inventory tracking for reusable containers), Refill Tracking (water station impact display), Sponsored Giving (charitable donation tied to scans), the Reuse Challenge (K-12 educational program), and the Champion referral program. The entire system is anchored by the Fill it Forward Tag — a scannable QR code that unlocks a donation and logs environmental impact on every reuse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cupanion: The flagship brand of reusable water bottles, cups, bags, and tags, manufactured in the USA with Fill it Forward technology integrated.

Products and services

• Cupanion Bottle The flagship customizable reusable water bottle made in the USA with a Fill it Forward QR-code Tag. Available in Tritan Renew (50% recycled content) as of July 2025. Supports screen printing up to six colors. Minimum order quantity of 48 units. Ships from New York. For B2B custom programs.
• Cupanion Swivel A variant of the Cupanion bottle featuring a swivel lid mechanism. Offered as a product extension within the branded reusable bottle line for B2B custom orders.
• Fill it Forward App Free mobile application (iOS and Android) and web app that enable users to scan Fill it Forward Tags, track environmental impact, participate in giving projects, monitor hydration, earn badges, and join community groups. Bundled with every product purchase and available free to consumers.
• Fill it Forward Tag QR-code tags affixed to Fill it Forward-branded products that enable reuse tracking, unlock a donation per scan, and log environmental impact. Tags are also available for licensing to print on third-party reusable products (minimum order 125 units).
• Cupanion Tote Bag Customizable reusable tote bag branded with the Cupanion/Fill it Forward Tag for tracking reuse impact. Minimum order quantity of 48 units. For B2B custom orders.
• Reuse365 The engagement and analytics platform powering Fill it Forward programs. Provides real-time reporting on participation, impact, and ROI; supports group challenges, templated challenges, and raffle draws; features an Impact Board for live event display. Accessed via the member portal by organizations.
• Borrow - Inventory Tracking A reusable container lending program module that tracks borrowed containers via Fill it Forward Tags, managing inventory, returns, and loss rates for foodservice and campus dining operations.
• Refill Tracking A module within the Fill it Forward platform that tracks refill events at water stations, displaying real-time reuse counts and environmental savings at event venues and corporate campuses.
• Sponsored Giving A charitable giving component where organizations can sponsor giving projects, directing donations to Fill it Forward's nine trusted charity partners (WaterAid, charity: water, DIGDEEP, Water First, Wine To Water, One Tree Planted, Second Harvest, Water For People, and another) tied to reuse activity.
• Reuse Challenge A free K-12 classroom program in Canada and the US providing Fill it Forward stickers, a digital presentation ('The Benefits of Reuse'), a classroom poster, and app access to engage students in sustainability tracking.

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPAI (Promotional Products Association International)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Industry association for promotional products. PPAI member #792815 and #792948. Distributor partners use PPAI network to resell Fill it Forward products.
• SAGEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Promotional products distributor network. SAGE member #52430. Distributors use SAGE platform to access Fill it Forward products.
• ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Promotional products industry association. ASI member #54161. Distributor partners access Fill it Forward through ASI network.
• PPPC (Promotional Products Professionals of Canada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Canadian promotional products industry association. PPPC member #20220908. Supports Canadian distributor partners reselling Fill it Forward.
• CommonSKUcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Promotional products distributor platform. Members access Fill it Forward products through CommonSKU ordering system.
• Eastman Chemical CompanycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Supplier of Tritan Renew material used in Cupanion Bottles. Tritan Renew is BPA-free, durable plastic made with 50% certified recycled content using molecular recycling. Partnership enables 8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• charity: watercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Charitable partner working in 29 countries, serving 13,000,000+ people through 79,000+ water projects. Qurate Retail Group partnership funded clean water well and pump system for 200+ people in Tigray, Ethiopia.
• DIGDEEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Charitable partner serving 2.2 million Americans without sinks, bathtubs or toilets. Armada Analytics partnership supported Navajo Water Project. Know Indigenous History partnership funded Water First for Indigenous water training.
• Water FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Canada's leading charitable organization working with Indigenous communities on water challenges through education, training, and collaboration. Know Indigenous History partnership brought $10,000 funding for Indigenous adults training in water science.
• Wine To WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20221% for the Planet nonprofit partner committed to clean water. Has impacted 1,315,952 people in 960+ communities through well digging, filtration systems, and education.
• Second HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Canada's largest food rescue organization providing 62,000+ meals daily. Partnership focuses on food waste reduction and community nutrition programs.
• One Tree PlantedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20221% for the Planet company restoring forests globally. Has planted 40,000,000+ trees in 43+ countries. Each dollar donated plants one tree.
• SwagUpminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2021Promotional partner offering Cupanion Bottle in sustainable sample packs. New Jersey-based company with robust API platform for modern workplace branded swag.
• NODA (National Orientation Directors Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Sustainability partner to help schools work together for greater purpose. Supports orientation and transition programming for students.
• McCabe PromotionalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2021B Corp certified promotional products distributor based in London, Ontario. Includes Fill it Forward in Impact Collection for purpose-driven clients including Indigenous organizations.
• kotmominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2021Certified B Corp promotional products distributor offering Cupanion Bottle as sustainable product option. Certified women-owned company reinventing promotional product industry with socially and environmentally sound practices.
• Blitz CreativeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Long-standing client using custom Fill it Forward products for holiday and year-round gifting programs. Featured on Ellen DeGeneres BE KIND Box.
• Water For PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nonprofit international development organization helping rural developing communities achieve access to drinkable water and sanitation. Workday partnership funded school rainwater harvesting system in Honduras.
• WaterAidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Charitable partner for clean water projects globally. Salesforce partnership with Fill it Forward and WaterAid's Deliver Life Program funded a Rainwater Harvesting System in Bugulula, Tanzania, supporting 8,000+ people including maternal and newborn healthcare.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• r.World (r.Cup): r.World produces reusable cups and tracking technology for events, stadiums, and foodservice — directly comparable to Fill it Forward's Reuse365-powered Borrow and event programs for single-use elimination.
• CupClub: CupClub offers reusable cup-as-a-service for events and venues with deposit-return and tracking technology, competing head-to-head with Fill it Forward's event and lodging reuse programs.
• Dispatch Goods: Dispatch Goods operates a reusable container system for restaurants with return tracking — directly comparable to Fill it Forward's Borrow program and foodservice reuse module.
• Algramo: Algramo delivers smart reusable packaging and refill-by-the-bring systems with embedded tracking — directly comparable to Fill it Forward's QR-tag, refill-meter, and sponsored-giving model.
• OZZI: OZZI provides reusable to-go container programs for universities and corporate campuses with token-based return tracking, overlapping with Fill it Forward's Borrow and academic segments.
• Returnity: Returnity designs and supplies reusable packaging and shipping containers with tracking for retail and logistics, addressing the same closed-loop reuse use cases as Fill it Forward.
• DeliverZero: DeliverZero runs a reusable takeout container program in NYC with deposit-return tracking — a direct comparable in the reusable foodservice container space.

Broad incumbents

• YETI: YETI is a large-scale reusable drinkware brand selling custom-logo bottles and tumblers across consumer and corporate channels, making it a broad incumbent with overlapping products but no reuse-tracking software.
• Hydro Flask: Hydro Flask (Helen of Troy) is a major reusable bottle brand with custom-print B2B options, comparable on the physical product side but lacking Fill it Forward's engagement and impact-tracking platform.
• S'well: S'well is an established reusable bottle and container brand with corporate gifting offerings, overlapping with Fill it Forward's custom reusable product line as a broader incumbent in sustainability drinkware.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fillitforward
• YouTubevimeo.com/fillitforward
• Facebookfacebook.com/fillitforward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fillitforward
• Instagraminstagram.com/fillitforward

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fill It Forward