Today Grubhub is officially joining the #CutOutCutlery campaign and committing to dramatically reducing the number of single-use plastics that enter the environment. In the coming months the Grubhub app and website will begin automatically defaulting to zero utensils and napkins with every order. While diners will still be able to request plasticware when needed, the move will generate significant savings for restaurants across the country.

“As we advance sustainable business practices across Grubhub and our industry, this important step will keep millions of unneeded pieces of single-use plastic out of the environment,” Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said. “We look forward to building on this commitment to sustainability in partnership with the diners and restaurants who rely on Grubhub every day.”

This action by Grubhub will remove millions of pieces of plastic cutlery from entering the environment annually. According to HabitsofWaste.org, organizer of the #CutOutCutlery campaign, 40,000,000,000 pieces of plastic cutlery end up in the waste stream per year, polluting our oceans and harming sea life. Sheila Morovati, Founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and #CutOutCutlery, has been a key partner to Grubhub as we have worked to develop this important sustainability feature.

“We applaud Grubhub for taking a significant step in dramatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic that ends up as unwanted waste and litter in our communities,” Morovati said. “Our partnership with Grubhub is a stellar example of how a system can be modified to change behavior, ultimately creating a new norm that automatically reduces waste and increases sustainability.”

Beyond the environmental benefits, removing plasticware is also another way Grubhub and our diners can generate cost savings for restaurants at a time when they need it most. Research has found that restaurants can save potentially thousands of dollars annually by reducing how much plasticware they use. The move is an important step in the journey Grubhub is embarking on towards more sustainable business practices.