-KH News Desk (cbdigital@imaws.org)
Dodo Pizza UAE, a multinational franchise chain operating in 17 countries, has launched a pilot program to offer reusable pizza boxes to its customers in Dubai in an effort to reduce delivery waste. The reusable delivery option is free of charge and will be available for Dubai customers ahead of the month of Ramadan. According to a report by Ipsos UAE, there is a significant increase in food delivery during Ramadan, up to 20% with 9 out of 10 people making orders.
Dodo Pizza UAE will collect the cases from customers for cleaning and sanitizing before reusing the box, or alternatively, clients can return the box to the delivery rider right after delivery. Each case can be re-used up to 500 times, and they are made from sustainable plastic that does not absorb any ingredients. The company aims to reduce the annual number of boxes sent to landfills from 10,000 to zero.
Ilia Farafonov, head of Dodo Pizza UAE, stated that it was the company’s responsibility to reduce the possible environmental impact pizza boxes have. He added that the company constantly develops tech-powered solutions to minimize food waste at every Dodo Pizza location. Dodo Pizza also uses AI-powered supply planning and forecasting solutions that allow the brand to avoid excessive inventory and ingredient preparations for its 900 outlets. The company also uses AI algorithms to identify the reasons for waste.
Altyn Nugmanova, chief sustainability officer at Dodo Brands, stated that packaging is the biggest challenge for fast-food companies in terms of sustainability. Although using reusable cases could result in higher financial expenses, the company considers it an effective way to reduce future environmental costs by increasing the retention of eco-conscious customers. Dodo Brands also owns innovative QSR brands, including the digital coffee shop Drinkit, and uses its proprietary cloud-based technology platform, Dodo IS, to manage aspects of restaurants’ operations, including staff management, quality control, sales analytics, order tracking, and personalization of prices and marketing. The company currently has a presence in several territories, including Europe, Africa, and Asia. The reusable pizza boxes are part of the company’s efforts to minimize its environmental impact and offer more sustainable packaging options to its customers.
