Just Eat Takeaway.com has entered a procurement partnership with Xampla and Huhtamaki to deploy plant protein-coated takeaway packaging across Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. The rollout signals a broader shift in how large platforms are approaching sustainable sourcing, moving beyond incremental material substitutions toward coordinated, multi-market supplier strategies.
The initiative centers on replacing conventional plastic linings with Xampla’s Morro Coating, a plant protein-based solution applied to paperboard packaging manufactured by Huhtamaki. For procurement teams, the shift introduces a more complex sourcing model, one that must balance environmental compliance, functional performance, and supplier scalability across multiple regulatory environments.
Recent regulatory developments, including the EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive and upcoming packaging waste rules, have accelerated demand for alternatives that can meet recyclability standards without compromising usability. In this context, sourcing decisions are increasingly shaped as much by compliance timelines as by cost or availability.
Material Innovation Meets Regulatory Deadlines
The selection of Xampla reflects a procurement strategy anchored in material innovation rather than incremental supplier substitution. Morro Coating is derived from natural plant proteins and avoids chemical modification, positioning it as a potential replacement for fossil-based plastic barriers in food packaging.
According to Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, regulatory clarity across European markets is creating a more defined pathway for adoption. That clarity reduces one of the key risks in sustainable sourcing, uncertainty over whether new materials will remain compliant as policies evolve.
The packaging itself combines corrugated paper with the plant-based coating, allowing it to remain fully recyclable within existing waste streams. Unlike some alternative materials that require specialized disposal or separation, this compatibility simplifies downstream handling for both operators and municipalities.
This matters at scale. Global plastic waste production is estimated at roughly 400 million tonnes annually, with a significant share linked to food and beverage packaging. As regulators tighten requirements, procurement teams are under pressure to identify materials that not only reduce plastic use but also integrate seamlessly into current recycling systems.
Performance Specifications and Supplier Validation
Beyond sustainability credentials, the procurement criteria for the new packaging focus heavily on performance. Takeaway containers must retain heat, resist grease, and maintain structural integrity across a wide range of cuisines, requirements that have historically limited the viability of plastic-free alternatives.
Huhtamaki’s role as manufacturer introduces an additional layer of supplier coordination, ensuring that material innovation translates into consistent, high-volume production. For procurement teams, this kind of multi-supplier alignment is becoming more common as new materials move from pilot to scale.
Third-party verification also plays a critical role. Morro Coating has been certified as plastic-free by the National Physical Laboratory, providing an external benchmark for compliance and reducing the risk associated with adopting new materials. Independent validation is increasingly becoming a prerequisite as companies seek to avoid regulatory missteps and reputational exposure tied to greenwashing claims.
The packaging is designed to perform across varied use cases, from dry foods to moisture-heavy dishes, requiring procurement teams to assess not just supplier capability but also production consistency across different operating conditions.
Material Choices Begin to Reshape Operational Dependencies
As plant-based coatings move into wider use, their impact extends into areas that are often handled separately from packaging decisions. These materials can carry different storage tolerances, sourcing constraints, and performance characteristics than conventional plastics, which affects how inventory is held, transported, and replenished. That introduces a need for tighter coordination between procurement, planning, and operations, particularly in multi-market environments where supplier availability and regulatory requirements vary.