For any successful food and beverage (F&B) company operating in large Indian cities, delivery is now an essential element. With online and offline aggregators, delivery has come to occupy center-stage of the food and beverages sector like never before, and this has brought an amazing level of convenience to the end customer—food at your doorstep with a few clicks on your phone.

It’s important to appreciate, though, that this comes at a cost to the environment. There are tens of lakhs of plastic boxes and containers that are used daily for food deliveries and then disposed of as waste in garbage containers.

Chai Point, Bangalore, has taken a leadership step in doing away with plastic boxes for delivery of its food items as well as stopping the usage of plastic layer covered plates for its in-store servings of food items. In partnership with two leading companies, Chai Point has shifted to the use of 100% biodegradable food boxes, plates, and even cutlery for itsr delivery business—Chai-on-Call.

The packaging, made of bagasse, is the fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice. It is used as a biofuel and in the manufacture of pulp and building materials.  

Chai Point has partnered with another start-up venture called Ecoware Solutions to provide this 100% biodegradable packaging.

"There are a lot of environmental issues that we face these days, waste generation being one of them. The supply chain team at Chai Point is committed to create a 'sustainable and green supply chain,' which involves use of environment-friendly initiatives, thus reducing the waste generation. Introduction of the biodegradable food packaging made of bagasse is a part of the same initiative," said Yaduvir Singh, head of supply chain at Chai Point.

Chai Point is arguably the first company in India to launch this unique initiative of providing biodegradable food boxes, which is focused on reducing the waste currently generated in the market. Approved and accredited by international testing labs and USDA, the biodegradable packaging that is being launched by Chai Point is a step ahead in a revolution that is forthcoming.

"The food service industry is guilty of generating huge amounts of waste by way of disposable tableware that only has momentary utility. Chai Point is an exception. Instead of making lofty CSR claims, Chai Point has invested in Ecoware packaging that replaces plastic and paper at all of its outlets. Ecoware tableware, made from 100% plant biomass, biodegrades naturally into the soil in a short period and solves waste disposal problems. 

"Ecoware is proud to partner with Chai Point to further their mission of using 100% natural ingredients and encouraging sustainability. Ecoware + Chai Point = Of Earth. For Earth," said Rhea Singhal, CEO at Ecoware Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

"Chai Point is a new-age consumer brand. Our typical customer is very conscious of the environment and insists on products that are 100% natural and authentic. We are always at work to define and align ourselves with the values of today's evolved consumer. The switch to bagasse based packaging is one such step," said Amuleek Singh Bijral, CEO at Chai Point.

Chai Point had recently announced its fleet of 60 electric bikes to fuel their business along with the revolutionary Chai Flask for its deliveries. The partnership with Ecoware Solutions has opened up a new path towards minimal waste generation.

Chai Point, now at 90 fast and casual stores, 600 employees across six cities serving 1.5 lakh cups per day, started its first pilot store in late 2010. The founder, Amuleek Singh Bijral, a Harvard graduate, saw the massive opportunity in making this ritual of Chai cool and contemporary for the white collar working Indian.

Stemming from its philosophy of clean earth, Chai Point, run by Mountain Trail Foods, sources 4.5 metric tons of ginger and lemon every month to perfect that freshly prepared cup of Chai with pure ingredients.

More information is available online.