The company is to begin a pilot program using 100 per cent plant-based sustainable packaging in the UAE and Qatar. It will be rolled-out to select restaurant partners from September.
The sustainable packaging program will aim to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions across the region. It will eventually be introduced to another seven markets globally by Talabat’s parent company Delivery Hero.
The new sustainable packaging contains no perfluoroalkoxy-alkanes (PFA). These are commonly known as forever chemicals and cannot be broken down naturally. It has been tested to meet food safety, quality assurance, sustainability, and ethical supply standards.
Talabat CEO Tomaso Rodriguez said: “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 per cent of the world’s plastic is not recycled – and 70 per cent 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.”
