New Delhi: Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform, recently celebrated the winners of its ‘Plastic-Free Orders Packathon’ in New Delhi. The initiative, held in collaboration with Startup India, aimed to encourage innovation in sustainable packaging for food delivery orders.

At the event, attended by over 100 people including Zomato’s restaurant partners, startups, technical experts, and sustainability enthusiasts, 10 shortlisted startups presented their pioneering solutions to the jury. Bambrew, Go Do Good Studio, and Frenvi emerged as the top three winners for their innovative solutions and were awarded prizes worth INR 10 lakhs, 5 lakhs, and 3 lakhs, respectively.

These startups, among 85 from 18 states across India, showcased a range of sustainable packaging solutions, including plastic-free barrier coatings made of materials like seaweed, compostable carry bags, and even edible cutlery. Notably, 34 of these startups were led by women entrepreneurs, highlighting their significant contribution to sustainability.

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer at Zomato, expressed her enthusiasm about the initiative, stating, “We are overwhelmed with the response received on the ‘Plastic-Free Orders Packathon’. It is inspiring to see startups across the country stepping up with groundbreaking solutions for eco-friendly packaging in the food delivery industry.”

The event’s jury comprised industry leaders including Rakesh Ranjan (CEO, Food Delivery, Zomato), Shekar Prabhakar (Co-founder & CEO, Hasirudala Innovations), Raghav Verma (Co-founder, Chaayos), Vishal Jindal (Founder and CEO, Biryani By Kilo), and Dr. Tanweer Alam (Director, Indian Institute of Packaging).

Zomato's commitment to sustainability extends beyond this event. The company has implemented initiatives like defaulting to ‘Do not send cutlery’ on its app, reducing cutlery waste by 1,000 MT within two years. It also aims for 100% plastic-neutral food deliveries every year and 100 million plastic-free orders by 2025, as part of its 2030 sustainability goals.

Since FY 23, Zomato has recycled 30,000 MT of plastic waste, exceeding the weight used by restaurant partners for Zomato food order deliveries. Additionally, Zomato has launched a program to recognize restaurants shifting to plastic-free alternatives, further reinforcing their commitment to sustainability. /BI/