Dodo Pizza UAE launches reusable pizza boxes to reduce the amount of delivery waste

Dodo Pizza UAE launches reusable pizza boxes to reduce the amount of delivery waste

The reusable packaging equals five hundred disposable pizza boxes

[Dubai, United Arab Emirates] Dodo Pizza, a multinational franchise chain operating in 17 countries, has started to offer reusable pizza boxes (hereinafter pizza cases) for delivery orders in Dubai. The alternative packaging option is being rolled out in Dubai as a pilot, with the potential for more markets to follow.

Before reusing again, Dodo Pizza will collect the cases from customers for cleaning and sanitizing. The packaging is free for customers and can be returned to the delivery rider right after delivery or later once the pizza is finished. Each case can be re-used up to 500 times.

Dodo Pizza cases are made from sustainable plastic that doesn’t absorb any ingredients, while the whole production process includes no trees or forests being harvested. A reusable case outperforms a typical pizza box in almost every dimension, including CO2 emissions after 11,1 uses.

“Packaging is the biggest challenge for fast-food companies in terms of sustainability. We understand using reusable cases could result in higher financial expenses. However, we consider it an effective way to reduce future environmental costs by increasing the retention of our eco-conscious customers, as they can enjoy pizza without worrying about packaging waste. Small steps like this make a big difference.” — comments Altyn Nugmanova, Chief Sustainability Officer at Dodo Brands.

A delivery option in reusable cases is available for Dubai customers free of charge starting March 21, right before the month of Ramadan begins. According to a report by Ipsos UAE, Ramadan sees an increase of 20% in food delivery, with 9 out of 10 people making orders, while fast food is the most picked category (52%).

While providing UAE customers with a more sustainable option for pizza, Dodo Pizza aims to minimize the amount of delivery waste during Ramadan. The company also intends to reduce the annual number of boxes sent to landfills from 10 000 to zero.

Reusable packaging is one of the measures Dodo Pizza implements to minimize food and delivery waste. Its self-developed AI-powered supply planning and forecasting solutions allow Dodo Pizza to avoid excessive inventory and ingredient preparations for all of its 900 units in 17 countries. Besides that, the company uses AI algorithms in its proprietary tech platform to identify waste reasons so the restaurant team could fix them and decrease the waste ratio per store.

Dodo Pizza’s first UAE store was launched in Dubai Marina in January 2023. Till the end of the year, the chain plans to have over 1000 units in operation, as well as expand its global presence by entering Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.