Publications
Partners
- Uber wants to carry out its mission to become an emission-free mobility platform by 2040.
- The plan is to help Uber Eats drivers transition to emission-free modes of transport such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric cars.
- To achieve this globally and in Africa, the e-hailing company is in talks with governments to accelerate implementing policies supporting the initiative.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
Uber is committing to making its mobility platform emission-free by transitioning Uber Eats drivers to vehicles such as e-scooters, e-bikes or electric cars, and other emission-free modes of transport across the globe.
In 2020, Uber announced its commitment to making the e-hailing platform emission-free by 2040 globally, with all rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles.
Currently, the company is in talks with various countries to implement policies supporting and regulating emission-free transport.
This includes Africa, where the company is engaging governments to create a favourable regulatory environment that will accelerate the rollout of electric vehicles (EVs).
"We know that delivering a carbon-neutral platform is a challenge bigger than Uber and we’re firm believers that climate is a team sport. That’s why we need policies in place that make EVs, e-mobility and sustainable packaging affordable and accessible for everyone," Uber said.
In South Africa, big retailers have hopped on the trend, with Woolworths becoming the first local retailer to rollout electric panel vans to deliver customers' online purchases.
Single-use plastics
In line with its plan to reach zero-emission, Uber aims to be the first global delivery tech platform to support the transition to more sustainable packaging—not just for Uber Eats merchants, but for the broader restaurant delivery ecosystem.
"To address single-use plastic waste and its effects on the environment, we’ll help restaurants transition to more sustainable packaging in every city where we do business by 2030 through a combination of discounts, incentives, and advocacy," said the company.
According to Pew Charitable Trust, a global NGO that works on improving public policies and more, each year, approximately 11 million metric tonnes (11 billion kilograms) of plastic pollution enters the earth’s oceans, with consumer takeaway items.
This mainly includes plastic bags and wrappers, food containers, cutlery, and bottles, making up the largest share across marine environments.
In South Africa alone, 2.4 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, equivalent to 41kg of plastic waste per person. Only 14% of the 2.4 million tonnes is recycled.
READ MORE | From groceries to baby strollers: Here's what South Africans leave behind on Uber backseats
To alleviate the issue, giant retailers such as Woolworths implemented the use of reusable packaging in stores, while Pick n Pay also announced the scrapping of its small transparent plastic barrier bags that separate certain products, like fresh produce and cleaning items, at its till points.
In efforts to tackle the plastic crisis globally, Uber plans to introduce new features and technology in the Uber Eats app to help customers reduce their own waste.
In Amsterdam, London, Paris, New York, San Francisco and Taipei, users will be able to select merchants that use green packaging.
