GRAB Holdings Limited (Grab) recently announced a new target as part of its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments.
Aimed at tackling Southeast Asia’s packaging waste problem, Grab is committing to achieve zero packaging waste in nature by 2040.
Group Head of Marketing and Sustainability Grab, Cheryl Goh said the company recognise that food packaging waste is an inherent by-product of our food delivery platform.
“Change has to happen throughout the value chain, and we are committed to proactively seeking and developing sustainable, inclusive answers.
“This means both being introspective, while working with other parties in the ecosystem such as regulators, packaging manufacturers, waste management firms, merchant-partners, and consumers,” said Goh.
Grab has mapped out a two-phase approach to reach its waste target. In Phase 1, the company will focus on reducing overpackaging and replacing single use-plastics with compostables.
The company will also work on developing reverse logistics mechanisms to increase the adoption of reusable and recyclable packaging.
This builds on efforts that have begun since 2019 to encourage consumers to opt out from receiving single-use cutlery for their food delivery orders.
To date, Grab has saved more than 23,800 tonnes of waste, with 898 million sets of cutlery weighing 8,088 tonnes saved from 2022 alone.
Phase 1 will run until 2030, with the aim of having 30% of plastic packaging diverted by then.
Phase 2 will focus on developing long-term scalable solutions to contribute towards a circular economy by performing proper waste collection and supporting the use of reusable packaging, enabling Grab to achieve its target of zero packaging waste in nature by 2040.
