Deliveroo HK is taking steps to reduce food packaging waste generated by its restaurant partners. The delivery giant is investing HK$2 million to incentivize a scheme that will encourage restaurants to use plastic-free packaging for their delivery orders. It comes as the government considers a move to ban single-use plastic tableware.
Investment from Deliveroo HK will allow restaurants to buy suitable food containers at a discounted rate, from zero waste company Sustainable. Independent restaurants and small F&B providers will be offered a 50 percent reduction in packing prices. Large chains will receive a 30 percent discount. Both will be applicable for the first six months of the initiative.
Deliveroo HK claims to have made sustainability a priority. Its collaboration with Sustainabl. will allow it to promote plastic-free, home-compostable, or recyclable packaging options to restaurant partners. Platform users will be able to search specifically for restaurants that offer eco-packaging solutions, in the future, making early adoption a potentially business-critical decision.
“With sustainability being one of our priorities here at Deliveroo, we knew it was time to take the crucial step of launching a sustainable packaging scheme that would be of value to our partners in Hong Kong and make an impact to the environment and we’re thrilled to partner alongside Sustainable. to do so,” Andrew Hui, general manager of Deliveroo HK said in a statement.
“We hope that our eco-minded steps can benefit our restaurant partners as they help create a greener future with us, and by extension, offer the same to their customers. With that said, we understand that integrating sustainable practices will come with new operational costs for our restaurant partners, especially since they are just suffering from the impact of the pandemic. That’s why we are here to provide solutions and financial support, as we leverage our community fund.”
The HK$2 million subsidy scheme will support locations that want to make a switch to sustainable materials and, potentially, greener delivery methods. It will be the first Hong Kong initiative to be supported by the Deliveroo Global Community Fund. Subsidised packaging solutions will include around 20 products, supplied by Sustainabl., to account for the different needs of various restaurants.
Sustainabl. is engaged in providing low-carbon, zero-waste packaging supplies that make a F&B circular economy possible. Everything supplied to Deliveroo restaurant partners will either be home compostable or recyclable, with bio-coatings for water resistance. The company uses renewable materials to create its ranges including sugarcane and wheat processing waste, bamboo and recycled paper.
“At Sustainabl., our vision is to enable businesses and families to access ‘truly’ sustainable packaging products that do not damage the environment,” Richard Oliver, CEO of Sustainabl. said in a statement. “We have created cost-effective, functional solutions to enable F&B vendors and other businesses to stop using single-use plastics and reduce unnecessary waste and their carbon footprint. We are thrilled to partner with Deliveroo on this meaningful initiative and look forward to supplying our zero-waste packaging solutions to Deliveroo restaurant partners. With the new scheme in place, we expect to see a greener and more sustainable F&B industry in Hong Kong in 2022 and beyond.”
Deliveroo has already witnessed the success of a similar scheme, in France. Launched in 2021, the partnership between the delivery leader and barePack saw 60 restaurants trial reusable packaging supplies, in a bid to garner a circular model. Launched in Paris, the scheme is expected to roll out to other parts of France and possibly London.
Tackling the grocery side of things, Dutch startup Pieter Pot bagged €9 million in December last year for its reusable container-powered home delivery service. The company aims to make zero waste shopping as competitive and convenient as regular grocery buying. New investmemt has been raised to expand into wider Europe, including the U.K.
