Deliveroo today announces a major sustainability partnership programme with zero-waste packaging company, Sustainabl., as the business commits to making sustainability a long-term business priority. The food delivery giant is partnering with zero waste packaging company Sustainabl., which supplies plastic-free, responsibly sourced home compostable and/or recyclable packaging solutions, in the wake of Deliveroo’s HK$2 million restaurant subsidy scheme. The scheme acts to further incentivise restaurant partners to go green in their delivery operations. In addition, Deliveroo users will later find a tag that signifies whether or not restaurants have opted into the scheme, and are now sustainable packaging partners, furthering awareness to eco-conscious consumers.
The new programme also comes in time for the Government’s proposal to phase out single-use plastic tableware in Hong Kong beginning 2025. Deliveroo demonstrates its commitment to delivering sustainable action plans by spearheading the implementation of sustainable packaging schemes to prompt an industry-wide shift to more sustainable solutions.
Andrew Hui, General Manager, Deliveroo Hong Kong , said, “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 Sustainabl. to do so. 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 that 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.”
This HK$2 million sustainable investment pledge is the first-ever initiative to be funded by Deliveroo’s Global Community Fund in Hong Kong. Restaurant chains are set to receive a 30% discount, while Independent and small F&B operators will be afforded a discount of up to 50%, for the first six months of the programme. A wide range of around 20 items will be offered to Deliveroo restaurant partners, as Deliveroo helps to cover the unique needs of varying Hong Kong eateries. The SKUs provided to restaurant partners will be made from 100% home compostable bagasse material or FSC-certified paper with water-resistant bio-coating.
Sustainabl. is committed to providing planet positive packaging solutions to Hong Kong. The company is passionate about providing plastic-free, eco-friendly packaging solutions. Sustainabl.’s products are sourced responsibly from renewable materials, such as packaging that is made from ‘bagasse’ pulp, a natural by-product of the sugarcane and wheat industries and a full range of FSC certified bamboo and recycled paper products. Sustainabl.’s products therefore do not pollute the oceans or contribute to the increasing amount of global deforestation or unnecessary waste going to landfills.
Richard Oliver, CEO of Sustainabl., said, “At Sustainabl., our vision is to enable businesses and families to access “truly’ sustainable packaging products that do not damage the environment. 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.”
With sustainability being an ongoing corporate initiative for Deliveroo, the tech-enabled delivery platform has also signed an industry-wide commitment to be part of WWF’s Plastic ACTion Initiative (PACT) in 2020. For nearly two years, Deliveroo has sought out new initiatives and programmes that will help to reduce the use of single-use plastic. Moreover, Deliveroo has offered a cutlery opt-out feature since 2018 to its users.
Prof. Laurence McCook, Director of Oceans Conservation for WWF-HK, said, “At WWF, we work widely with the business sector to tackle plastic pollution together. It is very encouraging to see Deliveroo taking on new and targeted initiatives to tackle the critical problem of "single-used plastics". The additional support to their restaurant partners also demonstrates a willingness to give back to the community, as we all work to raise awareness and create real change amongst both industry players and consumers. We look forward to seeing more ambitious initiatives for the industry to achieve a circular economy business model.”
Deliveroo’s partnership with Sustainabl. follows on from the formation of its Sustainability & CSR team in 2019. Since its creation, Deliveroo’s Sustainability & CSR team has led many unique initiatives that have empowered local entrepreneurs and increased awareness towards sustainability and eco-friendly practices in Hong Kong. Recently, Deliveroo collaborated with The Loops, a local start-up founded by local young entrepreneurs. Together, Deliveroo and The Loops collected more than 500kg worth of Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake boxes to be recycled. As a caring member of the public, Deliveroo remains committed to working together with local restaurants and community partners to develop initiatives that raise awareness towards sustainability and recycling.
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About Deliveroo
Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. Deliveroo works with around 160,000 best-loved restaurants and grocery partner sites, as well as over 180,000 riders to provide the best food delivery experience in the world. Deliveroo is headquartered in London, with offices around the globe. Deliveroo operates in nearly 800 locations across 11 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.
About Sustainabl.
Sustainabl. strives to bring our customers the best in class ‘truly’ sustainable, responsibly sourced, plastic-free, home compostable and/or recyclable packaging solutions which ensure our products do not pollute our oceans or contribute to the increasing amount of global deforestation or unnecessary waste going to landfills. Sustainabl. is eliminating waste through composting, reusing, remanufacturing and recycling with its organic farms and recycling partners. Sustainabl.s goal is that when a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are retained in the circular economy wherever possible and composted or recycled. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value. Our packaging is good for business and keeps the planet happy too.
