Skipping Rocks Labs & Just Eat Introduce Seaweed-Based Sachet Packets

By: Casha Doemland

Between the rejected Latte Levy, China’s ban on importing plastic-waste and the slew of cities and large companies ridding themselves of single-use plastic, the state of the UK’s plastic-waste woes are not new to anyone. In fact, according to the Guardian, “The UK alone produces more than 170m tonnes of waste every year, much of it food packaging.”

Just Eat, an online takeaway service based in the UK, is joining the front lines and finding ways to reduce the amount of waste in the delivery/takeaway industry. The push for sustainability began earlier this year, on April 1, when the company added a box that allows customers to opt out of receiving single-use plastic items like plastic cutlery, straws and sauce packets.

Now, with the help of Skipping Rocks Lab, a sustainable packaging startup based in London,  Just Eat is kicking off a six-week trial with seaweed-based sauce packets for ketchup and garlic & herb.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Just Eat to trial the use of our novel sauce sachets. They’re 100% plant-based, naturally biodegradable and decompose within six weeks, making them a natural and sustainable alternative to single-use plastic packaging,” said Pierre Pasiler, Co-founder of Skipping Rocks Lab.

The packets will trial at Fat Pizza, a Southend-based restaurant, and if all goes according to plan with the packets holding up in the market, consumers will see them across Just Eat’s 29,000 restaurant partners soon.

“As an independent business owner, I want to make sure I’m doing my part to help fight plastic pollution in the takeaway industry,“ said Sunny Chhina, Owner of The Fat Pizza, in a press release.  

"I think the commitment Just Eat has made to reduce the impact of plastic waste is fantastic and I am thrilled to be part of this exciting initiative by trialing the use of Ooho! Seaweed-based sauce sachets in my restaurant,” he added.

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Casha Doemland

LA-based and Georgia-bred, Casha Doemland spends her days crafting poetry and freelance writing. Over the last two years, she’s been published in a variety of publications and zines around the world. When she’s not nerding out with words, you can catch her watching a classic film, trekking around the globe or hanging out with a four-pound Pomeranian.