Burger King developed reusable containers for Whoppers and drinks and will offer them to some customers next year

• Burger King will start offering reusable sandwich and drink containers at select stores.
• The program will start in NYC, Tokyo, and Portland, Oregon in 2021.
• Customers will pay a deposit for the containers, and get it back when they return them.

Burger King is launching reusable sandwich boxes and cups next year to reduce waste, the company says. To start, the containers will only be available in New York City, Portland, and Tokyo starting in 2021, but Burger King has plans to expand further into other locations.

Burger King says the containers, which can be used for Whoppers or other sandwiches and coffee or soda, can be "safely cleaned and refilled." To use the containers, customers will opt for the zero waste option and pay a deposit while ordering. Upon returning them, the deposit will also be returned.

This process is a bit different from Starbucks' model, which is probably the most well-known fast food reusable container. Burger King customers won't own their own containers and bring them to restaurants. Instead, it's more of a rental situation.

Some chains, including Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, paused refills on reusable cups as a safety measure due to COVID-19. This issue is less likely to affect Burger King, which will be cleaning containers in-store.