Uber Eats has debuted a new pilot in Toronto and Vancouver aimed at mitigating the challenges of single-use plastic waste.
New pilot programs in collaboration with Suppli, a Toronto-based firm, and Reusables.com in Vancouver, position Uber Eats as the first delivery tech company to actively support a shift towards sustainable packaging within the wider restaurant delivery ecosystem.
Uber Eats recently declared ambitious plans to neutralize emissions across all global Uber Eats deliveries by 2040, while also assisting merchants in eradicating plastic waste from deliveries by 2030.
“By supporting nearly one million restaurants worldwide, Uber Eats is uniquely positioned to make a difference,” said Lola Kassim, General Manager of Uber Eats Canada in a statement. “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.”
As part of the pilot program, Uber Eats customers in Toronto and Vancouver will have the option to choose reusable packaging from participating merchants later this month.
Several merchants will offer zero-waste takeaway options through partnerships with Suppli and Reusables.com. With Uber Eats’ massive scale, the collaboration will enable more merchants to offer reusable packaging to customers.
“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,” said Megan Takeda-Tully, Founder and CEO, Suppli, in a statement.
After eating their meals, customers just need to eventually return their reusable containers to select drop off locations in Toronto and Vancouver.
