Zomato Launches ‘Plastic-Free Future’ Campaign: Recognizes restaurant partners that have embraced alternatives to plastic in food delivery packaging

New Delhi, Friday, 14 December 2024: Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform, has announced the launch of its ‘Plastic-Free Future’ campaign. This long-term campaign is aimed at recognizing restaurant partners who are making active efforts to adopt sustainable packaging solutions for their food deliveries. This is in line with Zomato’s commitment and continued endeavor towards encouraging restaurant partners to switch to sustainable packaging options. Restaurants who are part of the “Plastic-Free Future” Program carry a banner on their menu page and a clear call out in the order summary on the Zomato app to make it easy for customers to identify them.

More than 200 restaurant brands in 30+ cities have already joined the program by submitting detailed evidence of their packaging including photos and certificates, confirming their main items/dishes are being packed in sustainable alternatives.

In the last few years, Zomato has undertaken multiple initiatives to reduce the impact of packaging used by restaurants for food deliveries on the environment including giving customers the option to opt out of receiving cutlery and recycling more plastic waste than plastic used by restaurants to package Zomato orders. Most recently, the company organized the Zomato X Start-Up India Packathon, which spotlighted startups working on future forward plastic-free packaging solutions for food delivery to the restaurant sector.

To accelerate the adoption of sustainable packaging across the three lakh restaurants that the company serves across 700 cities, Zomato is encouraging consumers to place their orders from the restaurants that are taking the initiative to reduce plastic usage. This can drive demand for sustainable packaging solutions and incentivize more businesses to adopt eco-friendly practices.

Rakesh Ranjan, CEO, Food Delivery, Zomato, said, “Through this campaign, our endeavor is to build a sustainable food delivery ecosystem by celebrating restaurant partners who have committed to reducing plastic usage. At a group level, we remain committed to delivering our promise to shape a future where sustainability is seamlessly woven into the fabric of everything we do at Zomato and across our stakeholder groups.”

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Zomato, said, “Sustainability is an integral part of Zomato’s DNA, and we are focused on driving business practices that prioritize both social and environmental sustainability. The launch of Plastic-Free Future Program stemmed as a response to the growing concern over environmental sustainability in the food ordering and delivery industry. By recognizing and rewarding eco-conscious brands, we are looking to accelerate the restaurant industry’s adoption of plastic-free alternatives for food delivery packaging and create positive environmental impact at scale.”