Oxwash, the innovative cleantech company, in partnership with Deliveroo will be launching a first-of-its-kind takeaway container cleaning service for customers and restaurants in Oxford and Cambridge this summer.

The new service comes thanks to the partnership with Oxwash, who will be integrating their award-winning operation with Deliveroo’s world-class technology and market leading food delivery network.

The trial, beginning in August, will allow Deliveroo customers to request that their containers be picked up so that participating restaurants in Oxford and Cambridge can then wash and reuse the containers for future takeaways.

Deliveroo and Oxwash will be using the trial period to identify the most efficient and easiest customer experience, with a view at deploying the service to more cities in 2020. Deliveroo customers will either be able to scan a QR code found on their Deliveroo packaging to arrange pickup of used containers or drop off the containers at easy-to-locate public units in high-density residential areas.

The trial comes following Deliveroo’s world-first opt-in button for plastic cutlery, which has seen a huge 90 per cent drop globally in customers using plastic cutlery. Deliveroo also launched its own packaging store, providing restaurant partners around the world with access to recyclable and biodegradable packaging.

Last summer Deliveroo also launched community focused clean-up initiatives, offering Deliveroo credit to locals in exchange for buckets of litter. The initiative helped to clean up and recycle over five tonnes of rubbish found on UK beaches in Southend, Brighton, Torquay, Edinburgh and Blackpool.

Dan Warne, UK managing director at Deliveroo said, “food delivery is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and at Deliveroo we’re proud to be the innovator, giving customers amazing food, restaurants extra business and riders well-paid work. We’re also proud to be able to extend our innovation to help reduce the usage of plastics and promote recycling to our customers.”

Kyle Grant at Oxwash said, “we’re proud to be working with the world leaders in food to bring this innovative new model to the market in the battle against single use plastic waste. I’m confident that the integration of our operation with Deliveroo’s outstanding commitment to sustainability will make a rapid change to the amount of plastic waste entering the planet’s ecosystems.”