Food delivery platform Zomato has launched the ‘Plastic-Free Orders Packathon’ in collaboration with Startup India to foster innovation in sustainable packaging for food delivery orders. This Packathon serves as a competition for startups to present inventive solutions for eco-friendly packaging, specifically catering to restaurants handling online food orders.
Zomato chief sustainability officer Anjalli Ravi Kumar said, “Zomato is deeply committed to reducing the environmental impact of food deliveries. In September 2023, we began to recognise restaurants that have adopted sustainable packaging materials for food deliveries via a ‘Plastic-Free Orders’ banner. The programme is live in eight cities and 3.6 million orders have been recognised as plastic-free till December 31st, 2023. The program surfaced the fact that many national restaurant chains have adopted paper-based or bagasse-based packaging.”
She further added, “Standalone, mid-tier and budget restaurants, especially those outside metro cities, are struggling with the availability of affordable and functional alternatives to plastic packaging for their deliveries. The problem is particularly acute for restaurants specializing in gravy-based cuisines with multiple condiments and accompaniments. We believe focussed innovations hold the answer to this problem and the Packathon is a way to surface and recognise Indian innovators.”
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Startup India VP Aastha Grover said, “The launch of Zomato Plastic-Free Packathon is a testament to our shared commitment helping Indian businesses and citizens transition to sustainable practices. Given the burgeoning issue of plastic pollution, this initiative is a clarion call to all Indian startups to innovate and devise sustainable packaging solutions for food delivery that can significantly reduce plastic usage. This challenge presents a unique opportunity for Indian startups to showcase their ingenuity and contribute to a new era of sustainable consumption. As part of Startup India’s mission, we are excited to facilitate and support innovative solutions that will preserve our planet for future generations.”
Open to all DPIIT-recognized startups, the deadline for submitting applications to the Packathon is on February 29th. The top three winners will be awarded prizes of 10 Lakhs, 5 Lakhs, and 3 Lakhs, respectively. Additionally, they will have the chance to showcase their solutions to Zomato’s network of restaurant partners.
Recently, Zomato revealed its 2030 sustainability goals, which include ensuring 100% plastic-neutral food delivery orders through voluntary recycling. Additionally, the company is committed to facilitating the delivery of 100 million plastic-free food orders by 2025. Over the years, Zomato has implemented various initiatives to diminish the environmental impact of food deliveries, following its 3Rs approach of ‘reduce, recycle, and reward.’
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In 2021, the company changed the default option on its food ordering and delivery app to ‘Do not send cutlery,’ allowing customers to request cutlery only when needed. This straightforward initiative has reduced cutlery waste by 1,000 metric tons (1 million kilos) over the past two years. In the fiscal year 2023, Zomato recycled 20,000 metric tons of plastic waste, which is more than twice the weight of plastic used by restaurant partners for packaging orders received through Zomato. Additionally, in 2023, the company introduced a recognition program for restaurant partners who transition to plastic-free alternatives for their Zomato deliveries.
