talabat, the region’s leading online food delivery and q-commerce platform, is proud to announce the launch of its Sustainable Packaging Program to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions across the region, starting with pilot operations in UAE and Qatar. The launch is part of Delivery Hero’s (talabat’s parent company) global roll-out of the program, across eight markets.
talabat’s new packaging, which will be available for select restaurant partners and vendors to adopt, is 100% plant-based and 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.
Research conducted by Delivery Hero underlined that consumers want a more sustainable delivery ecosystem. 92% of customers in the UAE would consider ordering from restaurants that offer sustainable packaging, while two thirds of customers in both UAE would order more from a restaurant that offers sustainable packaging.
Tomaso Rodriguez, CEO of talabat, says that the organisation is committed to creating a sustainable delivery ecosystem.
"Globally, I think everyone can agree that a plastic free world is imperative. Statistics from the National Geographic, and Ellen McArthur Foundation show that currently 91% of the world’s plastic is not recycled – and 70% of plastic ends up in landfills or the natural environment. By 2050, the amount of plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish. That is the enormity of the challenge that as a planet, we are facing.
‘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."
‘Also, as part of Delivery Hero, who are introducing this same initiative initially in seven other markets around the globe – Qatar, Austria, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, and Singapore, we are able to produce this packaging at scale, with the aim of deploying 10 million units globally by the end of 2022, which makes it a cost-effective solution to normal packaging for our restaurant partners and vendors.’
talabat has previously taken steps to reduce 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% increase in no-cutlery orders in just four months. Additionally, talabat mart, talabat’s own delivery-only 24/7 store, with no shopfront, and the region’s first to deliver groceries in less than 30 minutes, switched from paper bags to biodegradable and reusable bags that consume four times less energy to produce.
Jeremy Doutte, Vice President UAE at talabat, 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."
He added: "In the first half of 2021, our online orders increased by over 90% and downloads of the talabat app grew by over 100% compared to the same period last year, and with this positive trajectory, we are committed to constantly exploring new ways to operate sustainably across the board. We are proud to be one of the first markets to pilot Delivery Hero’s global Sustainable Packaging Program to introduce environmentally friendly alternatives to serve our restaurants, customers, community and the wider ecosystem better."
Customers who would like to order from talabat can do so by downloading from the Huawei App Gallery, iOS App Store or Google Play.