AUSTRALIA – Uber Eats has disclosed a funding injection of A$13 million (US$8.5 million) and a multi-year partnership with Australia-based Planet Ark to facilitate Australian restaurants in embracing more sustainable packaging alternatives.
In the initial phase of this collaboration, the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures devised a framework for Uber Eats.
This framework, subject to peer review, establishes the sustainability standards for restaurant packaging, scrutinizing recyclability, biodegradability, and reusability criteria.
Uber Eats aims to guide restaurant merchants toward adopting reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2030.
The allocated funds will be deployed over the next three years to stimulate the adoption of more sustainable packaging through programs and subsidies.
Following a successful trial program in Q4 of 2023, where Uber Eats provided A$1 million in funding to small and medium-sized businesses through its packaging partner Detpak, the current initiative seeks to build on these efforts.
Bec Nyst, Uber Eats ANZ general manager, expressed enthusiasm about partnering with Planet Ark to provide information to businesses transitioning to more sustainable packaging.
Highlighting the impact of their technology, Nyst mentioned the estimated reduction equivalent to the weight of four jumbo jets of plastic forks, spoons, and similar items ending up in Australian landfills, achieved by making cutlery opt-in rather than default.
Uber Eats plans to continue collaboration with entities in the business and government sectors, fostering information exchange and addressing issues related to the packaging lifecycle.
As part of the initiative, educational resources developed in conjunction with Planet Ark will be made available to all restaurants, even those not on the Uber Eats platform, through publication on its website.
Furthermore, Uber Eats will provide research to the Restaurant & Catering Association, ensuring accessibility of materials to a broad spectrum of stakeholders across the restaurant ecosystem.
Rebecca Gilling, CEO of Planet Ark, acknowledged the positive developments arising from the federal government’s recent announcement to regulate packaging standards, mandating design parameters, setting minimum recycled content requirements, and prohibiting the use of harmful chemicals.
In June last year, Uber Eats has partnered with DeliverZero to launch a pilot program in New York City that offers customers reusable container options when ordering food delivery from more than 80 participating restaurants.
The program offers customers the option to receive their orders in reusable containers that can be returned to the restaurant for a minimal fee of just US$1.
Under this initiative, customers placing their orders through Uber Eats can select the reusable container option during the checkout process.
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