As the government continues to push forward it’s goals to make the country net zero by 2050, it’s time for all of us to do our part in being more sustainable--including those of us who run a takeaway business.

 

There are plenty of small changes that you can implement in your business to reduce the amount of waste you produce, make it easy for your customers to recycle, and help meet the upcoming net zero goals.

 

Here are five things that are extremely easy, but will help make your takeaway more sustainable.

 

• Eco-friendly packaging

 

An important switch to help your takeaway go green is to switch your current packaging for more eco-friendly materials.

 

Avoid using packaging that’s made of plastic and instead look for sustainable alternatives like paper, cardboard, and biodegradable materials.

 

• Use e-receipts

 

A recent survey found that 90% of consumers would be happy to receive an e-receipt rather than a paper one--not only is it better for the environment not having to print all of the unnecessary paper, but it’s also much more convenient.

 

• Switch to online menus

 

Similarly, you can also ditch the paper menus and switch to an online-only menu to cut down on printing.

 

If you have a website you could upload your menu, you can even add a menu to your Google Listing now which can help increase the amount of customers and orders you get.

 

You can also allow customers to access your menu through a QR code, something more and more takeaways are beginning to offer.

 

• Give customers the choice to not receive cutlery

 

Do you send out cutlery with every takeaway order? Most of the time, if people are ordering their takeaway to home they will have their own cutlery so there’s no need to send them out--it’s just creating waste.

 

Make it the default to not send cutlery in your takeaway orders, but give your customers the option to add cutlery if they need it.

 

• Eliminate food waste

 

Food waste is an issue that a lot of takeaways face, but it’s something that can easily be avoided.

 

Doing something as simple as shortening your menu, or refining it so that you only need a limited amount of ingredients that can be used across different dishes is a great way to eliminate waste.

 

Have you tried any of these eco-friendly tips at your takeaway? Let us know!

 

Tags: takeaway, small business, packaging, food delivery, catering business, eco friendly