Xampla’s plant polymer-coated food takeaway boxes from Huhtamaki

Just Eat Takeaway’s platform in Germany, Lieferando, is expanding its range of sustainable takeaway packaging by partnering with Huhtamaki to offer new plastic-free and fully recyclable food boxes to restaurant partners, a press release stated. 

The takeaway boxes are coated with Xampla’s innovative Morro coating – said to be the world’s first biodegradable plant protein coating for food takeaway boxes designed to hold a wide variety of dishes.   

Lieferando’s approximately 41,000 restaurant partners can now order the packaging in the Lieferando Partner Webshop. Following initial tests by Just Eat for Business in the UK, the first Lieferando restaurant partners in Germany have already trialed the packaging. To encourage the use of plastic-free takeaway boxes and promote early adoption, Lieferando is trialing 500 boxes with selected restaurant partners in Hamburg, Essen, Munich and Wiesloch.

“We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with innovative companies who share the goal of addressing single-use plastic waste with us. We are committed to making responsible choices that not only benefit our partners and consumers, but also contribute positively to the planet, and we’re looking forward to working with Xampla to encourage more partners to adopt plastic-free packaging,” said Jaz Rabadia, global head of Responsible Business & Sustainability, Just Eat Takeaway.com

The new folding cartons, produced by Huhtamaki, are fully recyclable, made from sustainably sourced corrugated paper and fulfil; the directive for single-use plastics. The packaging has good rigidity and heat retaining properties and is suitable for a wide range of foods and cuisines, including traditionally difficult-to-hold greasy dishes, providing a suitable alternative to plastic for restaurants and consumers alike.

Morro coating is an innovation of Xampla, a UK based materials technology company with the boxes being made by Huhtamaki. The coating is made from plants, without using any harmful chemicals, and offers the food delivery market a high-performance plastic-free alternative to the plastic coatings used in traditional takeaway boxes, the release said.

“We are pleased to be working with Lieferando and Huhtamaki, two forward-thinking partners who share our commitment to the planet through reducing plastic-pollution. Morro coating is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing packaging processes, offering a powerful alternative to plastic. Together, we are setting a new standard for environmentally responsible food packaging,” said Alexandra French, CEO, Xampla.

Supporting partners in adopting more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com’s broader efforts to address plastic pollution in the on-demand delivery industry. This partnership will further expand Lieferando’s sustainable packaging range, providing partners with the ability to choose plastic-free for a wider range of dishes.

“Our latest plastic-free packaging innovation in use with Just Eat Takeaway.com and Lieferando. The new solution combines Huhtamaki’s proven corrugated cartonboard with Xampla’s plant-based, plastic-free Morro coating. Designed for performance, Morro-coated Huhtamaki containers are perfectly suited to the demands of busy food delivery, serve-over and hot-hold environments, making them a great choice for discerning, sustainability-minded operators and consumers alike. A strong step forward in advancing circular, plastic-free food packaging,” Huhtamaki said in a LinkedIn post.

“We see that the demand for environmentally friendly packaging is constantly increasing. The new boxes expand our options for packaging a wider range of dishes plastic-free,” said Hammad Butt, owner of Pizza Avanti in Wiesloch.