If new research is anything to go by, foodservice businesses should keep sustainability concerns top of mind.
In a survey of 7,000 global consumers by restaurant software company Deliverect, respondents revealed that food deliver option perceived as being eco-friendly are important to their ordering decision.
Some 43 percent of diners said they would pay more for takeaway food that was sustainable. A further 68 percent said restaurant should have processes in place to avoid waste.
“Online delivery and takeaway orders are continuing to rise in our digital-first, often remote world,” noted Zhong Xu, Co-founder and CEO of Deliverect.
“While consumers will always want fresh ingredients and a variety of menu offerings, something else is increasingly paramount to their oder decisions: a restaurants sustainability efforts.”
Consumers Willing to Spend for Sustainability
While 65 percent of severe respondents said they find healthy, sustainable eating to be more expensive, 43 percent said they are willing to pay more for takeaways in a restaurant that have visibly sustainable practices.
Over half (45 percent) said they would like restaurants to better share how they are working to make takeaways/deliveries more sustainable.
Avoid Excessive Food Waste
The survey also revealed that while 67 percent of consumers usually keep larger than necessary food portions for another meal (leftovers), 51 percent said that seeing large amounts of food waste frustrates them and puts them off from ordering from that restaurant again.
A further 73 percent wanted more accurate descriptions of portion sizes to avoid food waste, and 68 percent said takeaway restaurant should have precautions in place to avoid unnecessary food waste.
Be Conscious Sustainable Packaging
Consumers are on the lookout for restaurants using sustainable materials with 54 percent of consumers would prefer to order from restaurants that remove excess packaging from the food delivery. Over half (56 percent) would also show preference to a restaurant that uses eco-friendly packaging over single-use plastic.
