Sustainable QSRs enjoy repeat purchases and bigger order sizes: survey

More than half of Aussie consumers think restaurants should be doing more for the planet.

Consumers are increasingly frustrated by the amount of food waste in restaurants, with many expressing concerns about ordering from these establishments, a recent survey conducted by Censuswide and commissioned by Deliverect found.

Between 900 million and 1.3 billion tons of food waste is generated each year, equivalent to almost one-third of all food produced. These numbers, taken from the UN Environment Programme's Food Waste Index and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, are only expected to rise as global food demand increases.

And with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a surge in delivery and takeaway, restaurants are under increased pressure to address the issue.

Censuswide found that over 30% of consumers around the world are willing to pay more for delivery and takeaway from restaurants that visibly practice sustainability. In addition, almost half (46%) of respondents would like restaurants to share more about their efforts to make takeaway and delivery options more sustainable.

In Australia, where the poll surveyed 1,000 consumers, 68% feel that restaurants should be doing more to prevent food waste, and 33% said they would prioritise sustainable food delivery alternatives once they are able to afford them.

Portion sizes and precautions against food waste are also concerns for many consumers. According to the survey, 70% of respondents globally feel that accurate portion sizes are important in order to avoid food waste, and 68% want restaurants to put in place precautions to reduce the amount of food waste generated.

Packaging is another area where restaurants can make a difference. 48% of Aussie respondents said they would prefer to order from a restaurant that uses eco-friendly packaging, which means no single-use plastics, and more compostable and plant-based packaging materials.

“To stay up on the competition and meet customer needs, consider making sustainable strides like revamping your menu to include locally-sourced ingredients and cutting down your delivery times. Even better, look to modern technology to improve your operational efficiencies and open the door to more time for you to focus on sustainability," said Zhong Xu, Co-Founder & CEO of Deliverect.

Outback Steakhouse, for its part, has made strides in this area. Mike Palmer, Outback Steakhouse's operating director, recently spoke about how the company has been using Deliverect to improve its sustainability practices.

"We are receiving the order tickets faster and therefore not making any order mistakes which results in less food wastage. By allowing us to group delivery platforms, we can be much more efficient with deliveries and have seen a 20% time savings and we’re able to get the food out probably two to three times quicker than we were previously," he said.