... as food delivery firm vows to use takeaway boxes made of sugarcane

FOOD delivery firm Deliveroo is promising a crackdown on plastic cutlery and a switch to eco-packaging made from sugarcane.

The company will make plastic cutlery an ‘opt in’ selection on orders, which is expected to cut the amount distributed by more than half.

Deliveroo said the initiative will be launched in the UK before being introduced in other countries.

Restaurants which use Deliveroo drivers will be offered 50 new packaging products that are biodegradable, compostable or recyclable. Significantly, the company says these packs are no more expensive than plastic.

The eco-packs include a range of BePulp burger boxes, bowls and platters made from bagasse, which is created from the dry pulpy residues left once the juice has been removed from sugarcane. These are suitable for both cold and dry hot foods and the clear lids are made from recycled plastic.

There are also Kraft paper salad bowls, which are sustainably sourced, made from renewable resources and biodegradable.

It will also offer paper straws and boxes, as well as knives and forks which look like plastic but are made from a sugar derivative.

Deliveroo founder Will Shu said: ‘We are determined to help contribute to efforts to reduce the amount of plastic we all use in society and deliver real, tangible changes.’

Restaurant chain MEATliquor, which uses Deliveroo drivers, said: ‘It’s important that the food travels well and arrives the way we’d like it to, but it’s more important that what it is travelling in is sustainable.’