Lieferando is providing partnering restaurants with corrugated paper delivery boxes from Huhtamaki, coated with Xampla’s plant-based polymer, in hopes of providing ‘plastic-free’ and ‘biodegradable’ packaging solutions for a broader range of dishes.
The folding boxes are considered compliant with the Single-Use Plastics Directive, since they are made from ‘sustainably sourced’ corrugated paper and fully recyclable after use. They are thought to be suitable for transporting various food types, including fatty foods, due to their thermal insulation and ‘high’ stability.
Meanwhile, Xampla’s Morro coating is made from plant protein. Claiming to be free from plastics and both per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), it is considered contact-safe; it reportedly offers grease, water, and oxygen barrier performance, and is thought to be home-compostable and fully biodegradable at end-of-life.
It is anticipated that Morro materials alone will replace one million kilometres of plastic-coated paperboard by 2031, alongside up to 10,000 tonnes of single-use plastic coatings by 2031.
Initial testing was conducted in the UK by Just Eat for Business, and the first Lieferando restaurant partners in Germany have followed suit. Now the packaging is available via the Lieferando partner webshop.
By embracing this solution, JustEatTakeaway.com aspires to cut down on its plastic consumption and provide its partners with plastic-free alternatives for a broader variety of meals.
“We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with innovative companies that are working with us to combat single-use plastic waste,” said Jaz Rabadia, global head of Responsible Business & Sustainability at JustEatTakeaway.com. “We are committed to making responsible decisions that not only benefit our partners and consumers, but also make a positive contribution to environmental protection.
“We look forward to working with Xampla and encouraging more partners to use plastic-free packaging.”
Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, continued: “We are delighted to be working with Lieferando and Huhtamaki, two forward-thinking companies that share our commitment to environmental protection and reducing plastic waste.
“The Morro coating integrates seamlessly into existing packaging processes and offers a high-performance alternative to plastic. Together, we are setting a new standard for eco-friendly food packaging.”
Selected restaurant partners in Hamburg, Essen, Munich, and Wiesloch will receive 500 free delivery boxes as part of the market launch; this is hoped to promote the new solution and drive further adoption.
“We see that the demand for environmentally friendly packaging is continuously increasing,” added Hammad Butt, owner of Pizza Avanti in Wiesloch. “The new delivery boxes expand our options for packaging a wide range of dishes plastic-free.”
Huhtamaki and Xampla are currently part of a multi-year supply deal facilitated by 2M Group of Companies. By utilizing the Morro coating in takeaway box applications, it hopes to transition into recyclable and compostable packaging materials derived from renewable sources.
Transcend Packaging has entered a similar supply deal with Xampla; it plans to apply the coating to selected paperboard packaging for quick-service restaurants across the UK. The coating will be manufactured at scale at 2M Group’s facility in Milton Keynes, England, and supplied under its new business venture, Sustainable Packaging Technologies.
In other news, Releaf Paper’s paper bags made of fallen fibre leaves are now available on Uber Eats’ Green Packaging Marketplace. This is anticipated to help the food deliver and mobility sectors replace single-use food packaging with an eco-designed alternative, with Uber’s new hub in Paris set to provide French restaurants with financial incentives for making the switch.
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