Just Eat: Plant Protein-Based Packaging for Food Deliveries
Just Eat Takeaway.com, one of the world’s leading online food delivery companies, is introducing a range of sustainable packaging in its European markets.
The range will be developed in partnership with sustainable packaging provider Huhtamaki, using Xampla’s Morro Coating.
This world-first innovation will see Just Eat’s takeaway boxes having a plant protein coating.
About the packaging partnership
Just Eat Takeaway.com is bringing out the new range of plastic-free takeaway boxes across 10 European markets: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.
The Morro Coating, produced by UK materials technology company Xampla, is made from natural plant proteins with no chemical modifications.
This provides the food delivery market with a high-performance, plastic-free alternative to the plastic coatings used in traditional takeaway boxes.
The boxes are fully recyclable and Single Use Plastic Directive compliant, as well as being made from sustainably sourced corrugated paper.
Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, says: “Europe is moving fast on packaging regulation, and the demand for materials that can genuinely replace plastic has never been stronger. There is real regulatory clarity across these markets, strong environmental ambition and a willingness to adopt new materials when they work.
“For us, this expansion is about scale. We have proven Morro Coating works; now we are rolling it out across 10 European markets through one of the continent’s largest food delivery platforms.
“If we want to replace plastic, we have to do it in high-volume, high-performance applications like food delivery. This rollout shows that natural materials can compete, and win, in exactly those environments.”
What is Morro Coating?
Across the globe, 400 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced every year – with a third coming from the food and beverage sector.
Xampla says its Morro materials are designed to leave nothing harmful behind, avoiding a negative impact on the environment.
It says that its aim is to unlock the power of plants to create natural materials that can change the world.
Its Morro materials are natural alternatives to plastics, developed to address the plastic pollution crisis and have been designed to eliminate the most polluting plastics in the world.
The boxes for Just Eat, which are being made by sustainable packaging solutions provider Huhtamaki, are designed to perform across a wide range of foods and cuisines.
The packaging is designed to maintain its rigidity and heat retention even when faced with greasy or moist dishes – ones that have typically been difficult to effectively package without using plastic.
Sustainability at Just Eat
Part of Just Eat’s sustainability efforts is supporting partners in adopting more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.
It aims to address plastic pollution in the on-demand delivery industry, through collaborations and solutions.
The rollout of the new packaging expands the company’s sustainable packaging range, providing the option to choose plastic-free for a wider range of dishes for restaurant partners across Europe.
Morro Coating has been verified as plastic-free by the National Physical Laboratory, making it the only food packaging coating to hold the accreditation.
According to Xampla, the coating has proven compatibility with existing recycling streams, helping brands navigate the changing regulatory landscape in the continent.
Unlike traditional plastic coatings, the paperboard packaging with Morro Coating can be processed through established waste streams without the need for separation.
The launch of Just Eat’s new packaging will provide its restaurant partners with regulatory-compliant packaging that can deliver on performance.
A spokesperson for Just Eat Takeaway.com says: "We're excited to be partnering with innovative companies that share our vision of eliminating single-use plastic waste and making responsible choices that create value for our partners and consumers.
“Expanding our collaboration with Xampla marks a significant milestone in accelerating the adoption of plastic-free packaging across the on-demand delivery industry.”
