Just Eat Takeaway.com is expanding its push into sustainable food packaging by launching a new range of plastic-free takeaway boxes in ten European markets, using a plant-based coating designed to replace traditional plastic liners.
The food delivery giant confirmed that the packaging will be launched in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Spain, following previous launches with its German brand Lieferando in Germany and Austria.
The initiative is part of a partnership with sustainable packaging maker Huhtamaki and British materials technology company Xampla, whose Morro Coating technology offers a plastic-free alternative to the thin polymer layers traditionally used to make takeaway containers resistant to grease and moisture.
Unlike traditional takeaway boxes, which rely on plastic coatings to prevent leaks and maintain structural integrity, the new packaging uses a coating made from natural plant proteins that has not undergone any chemical modification. The coating provides the same barrier performance required for takeaway food packaging, but remains fully recyclable in traditional paper recycling systems.
The launch reflects growing pressure on the food delivery and hospitality industries to reduce reliance on single-use plastics, particularly as regulations tighten across Europe under measures such as the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD).
According to the companies involved, the Morro-coated boxes have been verified as plastic-free by the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, making them one of the first takeaway packaging solutions that can provide powerful food protection without plastic barriers.
Made from sustainably sourced corrugated cardboard, the packaging is designed to retain heat and maintain stability even when used with greasy or moisture-containing dishes that traditionally require plastic-lined containers.
Industry experts say solving this challenge is key to reducing plastic waste across the food delivery sector, where millions of takeaway boxes are used every day and often end up in landfill because plastic coatings prevent recycling.
Alexandra French, managing director of Xampla, said the European expansion shows that natural materials are increasingly capable of replacing plastic in high-volume commercial applications.
“Europe is moving quickly on packaging regulation and the demand for materials that can truly replace plastic has never been greater,” she said.
“In these markets there is strong environmental ambition and a willingness to introduce new materials if they work. For us, this introduction is about scale. We have proven that Morro Coating works and now we are bringing it into millions of takeaway meals across Europe.”
French added that large-scale adoption in areas such as food delivery is critical if sustainable materials are to meaningfully replace plastic packaging.
“If we want to replace plastic, we must do so in the most demanding environments where packaging must perform under heat, grease and humidity. This expansion shows that natural materials can compete in exactly these conditions.”
Huhtamaki, who produces the packaging, said the technology integrates seamlessly into existing food service supply chains and recycling infrastructures, allowing restaurants to switch to more sustainable packaging without requiring changes to waste management processes.
Because the coating is plastic-free, the containers can be processed through established paper recycling streams without the need for material separation, eliminating one of the biggest barriers to recycling takeaway packaging.
The launch also helps companies cope with evolving environmental regulations, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, which place increasing financial responsibility on companies for the environmental impact of their packaging.
For Just Eat Takeaway.com, the expansion is part of a broader sustainability strategy aimed at reducing plastic waste in the fast-growing food delivery industry.
A spokesperson for the company said the move would enable thousands of restaurant partners across Europe to adopt packaging that meets both environmental and regulatory requirements.
“We are excited to work with innovative partners who share our vision to reduce single-use plastic waste and create more responsible packaging solutions,” the company said.
“The expansion of our collaboration with Xampla represents an important milestone in accelerating the adoption of plastic-free packaging across the on-demand delivery industry.”
The announcement comes as food delivery platforms face increasing scrutiny over the environmental impact of takeaway packaging, which contributes significantly to urban waste streams across Europe.
By introducing recyclable, plant-based coatings that can replace plastic in food containers, the companies involved hope to demonstrate that large-scale alternatives to plastic packaging are both commercially viable and operationally practical.
With millions of takeaway orders processed in European markets each week, Just Eat Takeaway.com’s launch of plastic-free containers could represent one of the most significant real-world deployments of plant-based packaging technologies in the food delivery sector to date.
