The food delivery service to make plastic cutlery an opt-in for all UAE customers, which will help reduce wasted plastic cutlery.
Deliveroo today announced a partnership with conservation organisation, Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF), in a drive to contribute towards the reduction in plastic waste across the UAE.
The collaboration will introduce several initiatives in the market, which support restaurant partners and educate consumers on how they can do their bit to reduce plastic pollution.
As part of the contract Deliveroo will introduce a new ‘opt in for cutlery’ feature on the app and website on Friday 11 May. When Deliveroo tested this option in the UAE, 100% of restaurants involved saw a reduction of cutlery being used, with 85% seeing a reduction of over 50%. This has been introduced in the UK, where on 86% of customers do not opt for plastic cutlery. Therefore, Deliveroo believes this update will reduce wasted plastic cutlery by over 50% in the immediate term.
The delivery service will also launch a series of restaurant trainings for Deliveroo restaurant partners, where environmental experts at EWS-WWF will educate chefs and restaurateurs on the best eco-friendly practices they can adopt in order to play their part in the country’s efforts to achieve environmental sustainability.
These trainings will focus on issues including restaurants’ packaging, their recycling practices, restaurants’ supply chains and purchasing practices.
Driving consumer awareness on sustainability and informing consumers on what they can do to ensure their food deliveries are eco-friendly is also on top of Deliveroo’s agenda. This will include an email to customers every time they order without cutlery, informing them about other ways they can be more sustainable and eco-friendly in their daily lives.
Anis Harb, general manager of Deliveroo said: “Plastic pollution is a global issue and it’s imperative that businesses of all scales are responsible in making the necessary changes to prevent this crisis from destroying our planet further. This is something that we at Deliveroo care about deeply, so we’re making several changes to become a leader in sustainable food delivery.
“We’re delighted to announce our partnership with EWS-WWF, through which we’ll be working with their expert team and our restaurant partners to address this matter head on,” he added.
Dave Hamidov, owner of Arrows & Sparrows said: “Since giving our customers the option of having cutlery or not, we’ve seen a huge decrease in the amount of plastic cutlery being sent out with our Deliveroo orders, which is great for us and even better for the environment.”
This is part of a long-term commitment to be the leaders in packaging innovation. Deliveroo plans to work with manufacturers to invest in developing a first of its kind sustainable packaging which is ideal for food delivery and maintaining quality while advancing sustainability and environmental goals.
