While consumers will always want fresh ingredients and a variety of menu options, something else is increasingly paramount to their order decisions – sustainability efforts.
Sustainability has been a trend now for more than a decade, and consumers today realise the role they must play in terms of increasing demand for sustainable products, packaging, and practices.
That, coupled with brands seeking better ways to connect with their consumers, and to keep them coming back, has resulted in brands, retailers and foodservice operators focusing on how to improve their sustainability credentials.
How well do you tell your sustainability story?
What was once rolled out for cause-related marketing campaigns is now the beating heart of most successful food service businesses.
Modern brands know that consumers care about sustainable business practices – and it goes far beyond just eco-friendly products. By broadcasting commitment to sustainability, it is possible to forge more meaningful connections with stakeholders.
As a business – as a brand – you will need to commit openly to this change. But we think it is a change to be proud of. And simply saying a product or service is sustainable will no longer suffice – they expect you to join the dots between your sustainability efforts and your purpose. Sharing where you have come from, and where you are going, offers up the opportunity for customers to journey with you.
However, the truth is – no business is unique. There are tens of thousands like yours selling similar products.
So, how can you stand out?
From reducing food waste and opting for less plastic in packaging, to eating local and consuming more plant-based food, sustainably-minded vendors are becoming increasingly sought after.
Gone are the days when restaurants and takeaways could drop their foods in a hinged Polystyrene container, hand them over, and call it job done. There is simply too much competition for this approach.
The choices made are no longer just about taste, price, or convenience. Consumers are demanding much more from their food packaging. While they are often the ones blamed for not making conscious choices when shopping for food, they are frequently not offered alternatives or are forced to purchase over-packaged products.
We – amipak – represent a great starting point for businesses looking to position themselves in this space. And we continue to maintain a high level of commitment to building a more sustainable future for the food delivery and takeaway industry, using our expertise to help businesses of all shapes and sizes adopt more environmentally products and practices.
Helping consumers get their sustainable takeout fix
Your focus should be on creating different, better, and special food delivery experiences through high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions.
There are countless touchpoints on the food delivery journey that can make or break an experience. The final one is the quality and care with which the food is packed. With box-bagged, traffic-dodging deliverers looking to keep food warm, hygienic, presentable, and ready to eat from kitchen to customer plate, there is no getting away from the fact that you have less control over a customer’s experience with delivery. Added to that, there are fewer opportunities to turn the experience around should anything go wrong because you are not there.
Over a decade on from its launch, our continuously evolving flagship range of sustainable foodservice packaging continues to be a fast market mover. The first port of call for many businesses, despite the changing nature of the way the world eats.
Our Flustix plastic-free brown leakproof range not only lightens your environmental weight but also balances innovation with functionality while safeguarding your bottom line. It uses a water-based grease and moisture resistant coating – not a PLA lamination that requires specialist recycling facilities – and unique webbed-corner construction to deliver its leakproof credentials.
The range, which is also breathable, odourless, microwavable, customisable, and space-saving, is designed to fit into a business’s existing waste management system. It ticks box after box. It represents a genuine, well-conceived commitment to sustainability.
Perception versus reality
Sustainability should refer to carrying out business activities in a responsible way, mitigating our impact on the environment, and positively impacting stakeholders and communities. Every single one of our packaging products has been fine-tuned to fit seamlessly into your existing setup and cascade its varied benefits right throughout it.
And the good news is that we continue to innovate, with new legislation continuing to drive new business models. But if the pandemic era taught us anything, it is that our actions can have a powerful effect on entire communities.
A brand is no longer just an expression of identity or management of reputation. A brand is everything about your business strategy – from why you exist to what you sell, and crucially, the relationship you have with your consumer.
