TORONTO — Uber Eats has announced sustainable packaging pilot programs in Toronto and Vancouver to help address issues around single-use plastic waste. Working with Toronto-based Suppli and Vancouver-based Reusables.com, Uber Eats is aiming to be the first global delivery tech platform to support the transition to more sustainable packaging for the restaurant-delivery ecosystem.
Through the pilot program, Uber Eats users in Toronto and Vancouver will be able to choose re-usable packaging as an option with participating merchants beginning later this month. Recently, Uber announced new goals to eliminate emissions on all Uber Eats deliveries globally by 2040, along with a focus on helping merchants eliminate plastic waste from deliveries by 2030.
“By supporting nearly one million restaurants worldwide, Uber Eats is uniquely positioned to make a difference,” says Lola Kassim, general manager of Uber Eats Canada. “But we know that delivering a carbon-neutral platform is a challenge bigger than Uber. We’re firm believers that climate is a team sport and that’s why we need policies in place that make EVs, e-mobility and sustainable packaging affordable and accessible for everyone.”
“We are proud to work with Uber Eats to provide a re-usable packaging option that fits seamlessly into a customer’s ordering experience and provides restaurants with an affordable, sustainable packaging option. This partnership enables a city like Toronto to build quickly on the more than 70,000 single-use takeout containers already diverted through Suppli from landfills, and demonstrate true impact from industry partners coming together,” says Megan Takeda-Tully, founder and CEO, Suppli.
“Since we started this company, we’ve had great momentum from consumers and restaurants looking for a re-usable option to be more sustainable when they choose takeout. This partnership will help us reach more people and scale the adoption of re-usables in food delivery,” says Jason Hawkins, co-founder and CEO, Resuables.
