The food delivery market is growing thanks to the increase in smartphone users, the main online buyers for the Food & Beverage sector. And who today does not own a smartphone? A potentially huge market, therefore: it is the platform-to-consumer market, which allows two-way communication between the restaurateur and the customer via websites and mobile applications. According to Online Food Delivery Services Global Market 2023, there were more than 1.5 billion users of e-commerce worldwide in this sector, with an annual growth of 25% expected up to 2024.

“The main formats are mainly for hamburgers and sandwiches: we customise the hamburger boxes, the greaseproof paper and bags the sandwiches go into,” explains for example Claudia Lofoco, product manager of Cartaria Italiana, a company specialising in sustainable food packaging. “And we do it by offering products made with recyclable raw materials. We have developed a plan based on the goals of the 2030 Agenda, to which we have dedicated a placemat. Finally, we have created a line of boxes designed to store leftover food after events.”

“We are witnessing the ever more widespread diffusion of the concept of ‘responsible consumption’, which is fundamental for an increasingly sustainable exploitation of resources,” explains Pasquale Pollice, sales director of Contital. “Parallel to this, the development of ready meals is generating an ever-increasing interest in single-use items, with containers that are surface coated to improve the shelf life of foods. In response to this trend, we have created disposable plates made of 100% recycled aluminium.”

“The post-pandemic period has led to a ‘just in time’ method of running businesses and we are responding with a catalogue listing over 1,500 items that are always in stock,” adds Luca Pina, chief technology officer of Del Pin, another company specialising in food packaging. “For street food in particular, we use more environmentally-friendly raw materials, such as 100% virgin fibre products, and we have reduced the PET percentage to less than 5%. We have created the Del Pin Green brand and a forest of trees in Guatemala, managed by farmers who sell locally.”

But sustainability must never lose sight of ease of use and speed, the main factors when it comes to choosing food-to-go. “The focus is on convenience and speed, without compromising on the quality and freshness of the food,” says Warwick Wakefield, customer service director at Flexeservice. “We are delivering hot-holding solutions that keep food in an optimum condition for longer. This significantly reduces food waste, thanks also to our new cloud-based service.”

And, for a company called Signor Bio the main focus is inevitably on sustainability and responsibility: “Our interest is aimed at environmental eco-compatibility, and that involves choice of materials and cost reduction,” explains sales manager Andrea Zanini. “Our goal is to find products made of PFAS-free cardboard or cellulose. We use pulp, wood and paper, which is how we obtained SSC certification.”

A whole world to come and discover at Host 2023, the world's leading event in all areas of professional hospitality: buy your ticket online now.