InfinityBox, started by IIT Kharagpur graduates Shashwat Gangwal and Keshav Godala, has been piloting the use of reusable Tupperware-like containers with some restaurants in Bengaluru and Mumbai
Single-use plastic food containers are a way of life if you order in regularly. But with the ban on single-use plastic, restaurants and shops have been hunting for alternatives for months. However, cost-effective options have proved to be hard to find, particularly for small businesses.
But now, Swiggy customers in parts of Bengaluru can choose a reusable container, thanks to InfinityBox started by IIT Kharagpur graduates Shashwat Gangwal and Keshav Godala. The company aims to make packaging a service, wherein single-use plastic containers are replaced by durable Tupperware-like containers.
For the duo, watching single-use plastic containers being burnt since recycling wasn’t an option was the catalyst that spurred them to look for alternative options while in college.
Cutting down on plastic use
Speaking to Moneycontrol, Gangwal said they realised that while plastic is one of the best inventions, the way plastic is used is a problem.
“Plastic is lightweight, it’s cheap, it’s flexible, it can withstand temperatures, etc. We figured that was the only way to improve customer experience while not increasing the cost and being environment-friendly. So we built a model around reusing these containers,” he says.
For the last year, customers of some restaurants in Bellandur, Sarjapur and HSR Layout in Bengaluru have received a call from a customer service representative asking if they would be amenable to receiving their food in a reusable container, which would be picked up later.
Currently, there is no extra cost for customers opting for reusable packaging and the packaging fee that is paid to restaurants is passed on to InfinityBox for orders served in their containers.
InfinityBox, which started out in late 2019, was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. It is now piloting the reusable containers in four locations, including with Swiggy in Bengaluru and Mumbai. In October, the company raised a seed round of $800,000 from Weh Ventures, Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter, and others.
“When you are a customer and you place an order at an affiliated restaurant, you will get an option to opt in for a reusable Tupperware container at no extra cost. We will come to your house and collect it, wash it and reuse it,” said Gangwal.
In Bengaluru, the pilot is live at some outlets of the Empire restaurant chain, Social, Swiggy’s cloud kitchen brand Homely and more.
Gangwal’s plan is not to stick just to Swiggy, but also work with meal subscription services and locations with big cafeterias, such as hospitals and airports.
“We would have served about 150,000 orders till date and prevented at least 20,000 kg of single-use plastic from being dumped into landfills,” Gangwal claims.
‘A mix of Amazon and Swiggy’
He added that their aim is to remove anything disposable and provide a reusable solution.
“Tell me a problem about packaging and I will give you a reusable solution. Whether I procure the packaging, I manufacture it, I work with a logistics partner, our own logistics — that’s all bundled into the service and sold,” he says. This includes items such as paper cups and plates, as well, where washing is taken care of by InfinityBox.
InfinityBox’s core job is inventory management and dishwashing, says Gangwal, adding that they are a mix of Amazon and Swiggy, albeit for different reasons. Amazon because its operations are on planned routes, whereas Swiggy operates within a geographical boundary.
“When I operate with Swiggy I enjoy the advantage of knowing the dense area. And with Amazon, it is their planned route. I send my (collection) guy at a predefined slot chosen by the customer. We have slots in a three-hour window, which gives me flexibility. The items are all brought back to our washing facility,” he adds.
The boxes are washed in industrial-sized dishwashers and then taken back to the restaurants where they are used.
According to Gangwal, adoption rates and retention rates are over 70 percent. He added that InfinityBox is adding three-four restaurants and about 500 orders each week.
For restaurants, he says working with InfinityBox reduces inventory management and procurement headaches, pilferage, packaging and spillage complaints, and slashes the use of plastic.
The response
A few restaurateurs that Moneycontrol spoke to raised concerns about the industry moving from plastic to such options. Hygiene, scheduled services and customer interest are some of the primary concerns that have been flagged.
Vedant Pasari, who runs cloud kitchen chain Edabba, said that being a vegetarian, he would be reluctant to use such reusable containers and hygiene would also be another factor.
“Though we are concerned about sustainability and eco-friendly solutions, it’s still very early to make such moves,” he added.
Another restaurateur said that customers may be concerned about the hygiene of such boxes and may choose disposable containers. In response, Gangwal likens it to plates and cutlery in restaurants, where people do not know what was served on the plate previously, and trust the restaurant’s hygiene standards.
Pratik Ranjan, who runs Salad Studio in Bellandur and uses InfinityBox, is satisfied with the service. “We have been associated with them for quite some time, and we were one of the first restaurants. So far this experience has been good.
“The carbon footprint has decreased, which is quite satisfying. For customers also it is a good experience, and so far the reviews have been good as they are getting it in reusable packaging,” he said.
Roughly 20 percent of Salad Studio’s Swiggy customers opt for reusable packaging.
Customers Moneycontrol spoke to said that while the process was largely smooth and the boxes were hygienic, the return process can be a hurdle. Rutwik, one such customer, said that scheduling the return a day in advance was an impediment to using the service due to an unpredictable schedule.
Rohit, another customer, said he jumped at the opportunity because of the amount of plastic that piles up in his kitchen and would not mind using it again.Some customers said that while restaurant packaging fees are currently passed on to InfinityBox, they would not be willing to pay more than a nominal amount for the service.
Source : Money Control
