Just Eat is calling on the government to make sustainable packaging alternatives more widely available and affordable for businesses and consumers.
It follows research conducted by YouGov on behalf of the online food delivery platform that shows 70% of consumers want the government to do more to reduce plastic use. A further 73% support extending the forthcoming ban on certain single-use plastic items to include single-use plastic takeaway boxes.
According to the research, plastic waste tops the list of the public’s environmental concerns – above water quality, extreme weather and air pollution – however, the public is now less willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly packaging compared to standard packaging (33%, down from 50% in 2019).
With this in mind, Just Eat is calling on the government to commit to taking action to reduce plastic waste and to support the sustainable packaging sector, which it says is essential to making these items more widely available and driving down costs for businesses and consumers.
Just Eat has taken a number of steps to help its restaurant partners in this area. It has removed branded plastic packaging in its webshops and offered alternatives, it continues to test new plastic-free solutions as well as reusable options, and develop a range of seaweed-lined takeaway boxes, which are fully recyclable and home compostable.
Robin Clark, director of partnerships and sustainability at Just Eat, said: “Reducing plastic in the takeaway sector is a core mission for Just Eat. We are committed to using our scale and influence to drive change across the industry, supporting our restaurant partners and investing in innovative packaging solutions with exciting partners like Notpla.”
“Plastic waste is a significant environmental issue and our research shows it’s still a top concern for consumers. If we are to make this work, action is required not just from the public, but wider industry and policymakers. We’re calling on the Government to prioritise the environment and commit to taking further action to reduce plastic waste.”
