USA – Online food ordering and delivery platform 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.
By opting for this environmentally conscious alternative, they contribute to minimizing the number of single-use plastics that often end up in recycling bins or landfills.
Once the order is confirmed, DeliverZero, in collaboration with Uber Eats, will send a text message to the customer providing instructions on how to return the containers.
Customers can conveniently choose to return the containers to a participating store or schedule a free-of-charge pickup.
This process ensures that the containers are efficiently collected and returned to the restaurants for cleaning and reuse, contributing to a circular economy model.
The program aims to make the transition to reusable containers seamless for Uber Eats drivers.
The news is the latest of multiple announcements from DeliverZero, including its recent integration with restaurant software company Toast for orders in New York, Chicago and the Denver area.
DeliverZero last year acquired Colorado-based reusable takeout container startup Repeater, and it previously partnered with third-party food delivery service DoorDash for reuse pilots.
Last week, DoorDash opened applications for local New York and New Jersey restaurants interested in participating in an accelerator program and those selected for the cohort will receive reusable packaging from DeliverZero.
Grubhub and reusable packaging partner Topanga.io have also recently started offering reusable container options for takeout and delivery on college campuses.
Meanwhile, in April Uber Eats rolled out a similar trial in London in partnership with a string of restaurants in central London and will also offer home collection of used packaging.
Under the six-month trial, customers placing their orders with certain restaurants can opt-in to receive their food in reusable packaging.
After they have finished their meal, they can scan a QR code and have the packaging collected from their door from the following day onwards.
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