Q&A with Safia Qureshi, CEO and Founder of CLUBZER?

Did you know that around 500 million plastic boxes are used across the takeaway sector every year, and even if they’re reused multiple times, they almost always end up in landfill??

The good news is that?CLUBZER?'s?reusable packaging is available via several vendors on the Just Eat for Business platform. The partnership aims to work towards the commitment to reduce plastic pollution across the food delivery sector, and will help build a more sustainable future for food delivery too.?

CLUBZER?’s reusable food boxes use up to 50% less CO2 than plastic-coated boxes and are fully recyclable. When customers order through the Just Eat for Business platform with a participating restaurant, they can choose to opt in for reusable packaging. After they’ve enjoyed their meal, they can either arrange for the packaging to be collected through the?CLUBZER??app?or be able to deposit the items at designated?CLUBZER??locations.?

We spoke with Safia Qureshi, founder and CEO of?CLUBZER??to find out more about the partnership.?

What was the inspiration behind starting?CLUBZER??

Single-use plastic packaging is a global waste crisis. Recycling of global plastics is currently at an all time ~14% and current reuse models for food & beverage do not design for consumer convenience across in-store, takeaway & delivery.

At CLUBZER?, we felt that there needed to be a change, not an incremental change, a completely new way of looking at it. We’ve pioneered a smart reuse system, combining design & technology into a strongly branded solution consumers can subscribe to, trust & recognise globally as a zero waste movement. This is key in transitioning away from single-use plastics.

Why is it important for businesses to take on sustainability efforts and corporate social responsibility?

Globally we consume +650 billion single-use food and beverage containers a year. About ~2-5% of this packaging is currently recycled. At this rate, our oceans will be filled with more plastic than fish by 2050.?

If we are to evolve beyond this waste crisis, we need effective solutions that drive zero waste across our cities, across both public and private sectors. It is becoming increasingly easier to adopt sustainable alternatives and ditch single-use plastics.?

What challenges does?CLUBZER??face and how do you plan to overcome them?

Our biggest challenge is making consumers aware that zero waste solutions are as convenient as single-use packaging. Showing consumers that there is a mass market solution is key in helping us scale our operations and grow our network coverage and participating restaurants/cafes. Both work hand in hand.??

Our approach to tackling this is two sided - we actively work with partners to help grow consumer awareness and also increase number of hosts offering CLUBZER? across in-store, takeaway and delivery.

What does World Recycling Day mean to you and to?CLUBZER??

World Recycling Day drives awareness on the problem of waste and how it directly impacts humanity. The day highlights the importance of a circular economy and how effective recycling contributes to a collective goal of reducing CO2 emissions and single-use plastics that would otherwise end up in a landfill or incineration.?

For CLUBZER?, recycling plays an important part in our product lifecycle downstream. At the end of each product's lifecycle (minimum 250 uses) we need effective recycling solutions for us to ensure our products are recycled at the end of their life into new reusable products.

What are your plans for?CLUBZER??in the future?

Our vision is to develop zero waste cities by replacing the concept of a waste economy, transforming it into a reuse economy. We plan to be in +20 cities over the next 7 years with a well established smart reuse system city wide, achieving zero waste for our partners, hosts and consumers alike.??

We plan to make ‘reusable packaging’ the new standard for across in-store, takeaway & delivery across Food & Beverage. Our partnerships with brands (Nestle), real estate groups (King’s Cross), food delivery platforms (Just Eat, Just Eat for Business) and recyclers (First Mile) are key in getting us there for London.