Deliveroo has launched a partnership with bakery chain GAIL’s and Sheffield Hallam University to develop sustainable packaging for hot beverage deliveries, addressing a growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible food delivery options. The initiative targets one of the most challenging aspects of food delivery sustainability: creating eco-friendly containers that maintain temperature while preventing spills.
The Sustainable Packaging Challenge will engage university students in designing prototype coffee cups over a five-month period, with sustainability as the central design principle. The project comes as Deliveroo reports significant growth in its breakfast and coffee delivery category, creating increased urgency for packaging solutions that align with the company’s environmental commitments.
“Breakfast and coffee is a big area of growth for Deliveroo, and this partnership demonstrates the value in large businesses supporting the development of cutting-edge research, working with universities to bring new, creative and more sustainable ideas to market,” said Jen Bagshaw, head of Deliveroo Packaging.
The competition offers participating students expert guidance from both Deliveroo and GAIL’s throughout the development process. The winning team will receive a £1,500 ($2,000) cash prize and potential opportunities to discuss bringing their design to production with GAIL’s.
Deliveroo backs sustainable packaging push
For GAIL’s, the partnership builds on the bakery chain’s successful expansion through its exclusive delivery arrangement with Deliveroo. Since forming this alliance, the company has grown from 19 London locations to more than 160 stores across 13 UK cities, highlighting how delivery partnerships can drive business growth while creating new sustainability challenges.
This initiative represents Deliveroo’s second collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University on sustainable packaging design. A previous partnership focused on developing spill-resistant, temperature-maintaining food containers, with the winning design expected to enter production with BioPak for market availability in 2025.
Beyond these design challenges, Deliveroo has established a £2.5 million packaging fund to subsidize eco-friendly packaging choices for its restaurant partners. This financial support aims to address one of the primary barriers to sustainable packaging adoption: higher costs compared to conventional alternatives.
The program reflects growing pressure on food delivery platforms to address the environmental impact of their operations, particularly the substantial waste generated by single-use packaging. By engaging academic institutions and restaurant partners, Deliveroo is taking a collaborative approach to developing solutions that may help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.
