Middle East’s largest online food ordering company, Talabat is initiating the ‘Sustainable Packaging Program’ to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions across the region, starting with pilot operations in UAE and Qatar.
The new 100 percent plant-based packages will be available for selected restaurant partners and vendors. It contains no perfluoroalkoxy-alkanes (PFA), which are commonly known as forever chemicals, and cannot be broken down by nature. The packaging has also been rigorously tested to meet food safety, quality assurance, sustainability, and ethical supply standards.
The program which is initiated by Talabat’s parent company Delivery Hero is being rolled out across eight markets. As per research conducted by Delivery Hero, 92 percent of customers in the UAE would consider ordering from restaurants that offer sustainable packaging.
Other than UAE, Delivery Hero is introducing this initiative initially in Qatar, Austria, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, and Singapore, intending to deploy 10 million units globally by the end of 2022, which makes it a cost-effective solution to normal packaging for its restaurant partners and vendors.
Tomaso Rodriguez CEO – Talabat
“Regionally, our ultimate goal is to create a more sustainable delivery ecosystem by constantly introducing industry-leading standards and innovations, and that every product purchased through our talabat platform be delivered in sustainable packaging. However, this is not a short-term, or medium-term fix. Through introducing our Sustainable Packaging Program to the region as a pilot, we are aiming to influence the reduction of food packaging wastage.”
Talabat has previously taken steps to reduce the use of plastic by introducing a “no-cutlery” default option at check-out for all orders made through the app, resulting in an incredible 62.6 percent increase in no-cutlery orders in just four months. Additionally, Talabat mart, Talabat’s own delivery-only 24/7 store, switched from paper bags to biodegradable and reusable bags that consume four times less energy to produce.
Mr. Jeremy Doutte, Vice President at Talabat, UAE, commented, “Sustainability has always been a key part of our agenda and as we continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly important for us to take responsibility and reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint as we envision a sustainability-driven future not just the coming few years, but for generations to come. This is yet another stride towards our goal to achieve carbon neutrality, aligned with that Delivery Hero, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UAE Vision 2021.”
