We want to be greener than our veggies
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We want to be greener than our veggies
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
At UCOOK, we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to minimise the amount of waste generated across our product range. Here’s what we’re doing to make that an everyday reality.
What we're working towards
We’re getting greener
It is the nature of the UCOOK product that ingredients need to be portioned and packed exactly to the customers needs. We use plastic packaging for this, as it is currently the best solution for keeping your produce fresh. This is the same reason we use polystyrene, as it is an important part of the box's insulation - keeping your produce cold on route to your home.
Where possible, we do not use any packaging (lemons, carrots, spring onions etc), and in other cases we try to pre-mix sauces or spices to reduce the packaging. We have also moved to brown bags for the products that have a naturally longer shelf life (for example, potatoes). While this is the current situation, we are trying our best to come up with alternative solutions that will help us to reduce our waste.
How we’re envisioning a greener future
We’re developing solutions for the following initiatives
Biodegradable packaging
Trialling a new biodegradable packaging solution that has just reached the market in South Africa.
Reusable boxes
Initiating a reusable box system, allowing customers to pay a deposit and exchange their reusable box weekly.
No box, no fuss
Initiating a boxless delivery system where customers can receive their meals without a box.
No more polystyrene
Replacing the polystyrene with a more sustainable source of insulation.
What you can do at home
Is everything in your box really reusable and recyclable? Yes.
Recycling can be confusing, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Below you will find information on what you should do with each part of your UCOOK box. The most important part is to make sure it’s all clean and dry. If your items aren't clean, they can't be recycled!
Did you know that you can simply return your previous box, along with the ice packs, polystyrene and woodwool, to your courier when you receive your next delivery? We will reuse what we can, and recycle the rest in-house.
Wondering about recycling in your area? Search for your local drop-off point here, and find a detailed breakdown of what to do with your packaging below.
Understanding what’s in your box
Meal Kit
Craft Meals
Baby Food
Wine
Meal Kit
Craft Meals
Baby Food
Wine
Create building blocks of the future
What is an Ecobrick?
An Ecobrick is a plastic bottle that has been packed with plastic, to a set density, forming a reusable building block. EcoBricks can be used to make modular furniture, garden spaces and even full-scale buildings such as schools and houses. Simply clean, dry and pack your plastic into a PET drinking bottle, to a minimum density of 0.33g/ml, and contribute towards building green spaces each month. To find out more about EcoBricks, and the creative things you can do with them, visit the Ecobrick Exchange website.
Learn about UCOOK’s recycling initiative
What we’re doing in-house
UCOOK has partnered with CurbCycle to ensure that all waste generated within our warehouse, testing kitchen and main office, is correctly recycled. CurbCycle is a Cape Town based recycling company that specialise in both household and business collections. They are incredibly hands-on, providing staff training and often popping in to check-in. Being environmentalists at heart, for them the service of reducing waste to landfill makes a huge difference to the way they conduct their business. It is important to them to 'put waste in the right place'. They provide us with regular reports to help us visualise our progress, and what's more - they plant a tree on our behalf for every two tons of waste recycled! For more information on Curbcycle, or to sign up, visit their website.
Solving the unseen problem
Tackling food waste
One of the difficulties with waste is that we only engage with the waste that we see. There are however many hidden wastes along the supply chain that often go unnoticed – food waste being one of them.
On average, 10 million of the 31 million tons of food produced per annum is wasted WWF 2017. In the context of South Africa, where a large portion of our population suffers from food insecurity, food waste is one of the most pressing issues within the food system.
UCOOK is unique in that it is engaged with the entire process between farm and fork. This allows it to tackle the issue of food waste at each level in the value chain production, processing & packaging, distributing & retails and consumption.
Through our Khulisa Amafama initiative, we’re able to work closely with farmers in production planning and quality standards, reducing the amount of post-harvest food waste. During the processing and packaging phase, UCOOK’s total food wasted amounts to only 0.6% of our total food cost. Our insulated boxes are vital for keeping our produce fresh, resulting in only 0.7% of our customer complaints being attributed to off-produce. Lastly, consumer waste is next to nothing as our business model ensures that exactly the right quantities are provided for each meal.
It is widely agreed upon that reducing food waste could be one of the most effective ways to improve food security and build a sustainable food future (WWF, 2017). Purchasing UCOOK can therefore be seen, in its own small way, as contributing to a more sustainable food system. For more information on food waste, visit the Too Good To Go website.