Seaweed-based sauce sachets are being trialled by Just Eat. Made by Skipping Rocks Labs, the sachets are biodegradable, compostable and edible.

A six-week trial of seaweed-based sauce sachets for ketchup and garlic and herb is underway. The Ooho! Seaweed Sauce sachets decompose in a matter of weeks.

In March, Just Eat announced a package of measures to reduce excess plastics included in UK takeaway deliveries. One of the commitments the business made was to work with key industry experts to invest in the research and development of innovative and practical alternatives for single use plastics.

Altogether, over 11 billion plastic condiment sachets are sold globally and as part of its initiative to find alternatives to single use plastic packaging, Just Eat is trialling the new sauce sachets with restaurant partner, The Fat Pizza, in Southend for six weeks.

The sachets are made from an alginate based material. They are opened just like normal sachets and can be thrown into the home compost or normal bin to fully decompose.

Graham Corfield, UK managing director of Just Eat, said:

“The Ooho Sauce Sachets trial and the results from it, will form an important part of our ongoing work to develop innovative and credible alternatives to traditional single-use plastic packaging currently in use across the takeaway sector.”

Pierre Paslier, Co-Founder, Skipping Rocks Lab, said:

“As an innovative sustainable packaging startup, we are passionate about pioneering the use of natural materials extracted from plants and seaweed to create packaging with low environmental impact.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Just Eat to trial the use of our novel sauce sachets. They are 100% plant based, naturally biodegradable and decompose within six weeks, making them a natural and sustainable alternative to single-use plastic packaging.”

In April, Just Eat partnered with Eskuta to help reduce carbon emissions in cities across the UK, by offering its restaurant partners access to market leading discounted electric scooters for food deliveries in a bid to drive more ‘eco-friendly’ behaviour.

Find out more