Ourhome Introduces Eco-Friendly Packaging for Takeout Menus in Cafeterias

An employee is handing over a takeout product made from eco-friendly materials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Comprehensive food company Ourhome announced on the 26th that it will replace the packaging containers and cutlery (spoons, forks, knives) used for products sold at the takeout corner of its employee cafeterias with eco-friendly materials.

Recently, the demand for takeout products at employee cafeterias has increased, leading to a rise in the use of disposable packaging containers. In response, Ourhome decided to introduce eco-friendly packaging containers and cutlery to reduce plastic waste and participate in environmental protection activities. This will be first applied to major large-scale employee cafeterias with high sales of takeout products and gradually expanded.

Ourhome will also replace the plastic lids previously used for salad products and plastic containers for noodle and rice lunch boxes with eco-friendly pulp containers. The newly introduced pulp containers are not coated with polyethylene (PE), making them easy to separate for recycling. Additionally, they are made from natural materials extracted from sugarcane and other sources, allowing them to decompose naturally after disposal. The cutlery provided with takeout menus will also use products made from PLA (biodegradable plastic material).

Along with this, Ourhome plans to actively promote eco-friendly activities such as using reusable containers for dine-in customers and campaigns encouraging the use of company cafe tumblers, aiming to achieve 'zero plastic use.'

Previously, since last year, Ourhome has introduced eco-friendly plastic bags in employee cafeterias nationwide. These bags are made from biodegradable materials (EL724) certified by the Ministry of Environment and do not produce harmful substances when incinerated.

An Ourhome official said, “As the demand for takeout products at employee cafeterias has recently increased, we decided to introduce eco-friendly containers and cutlery to reduce plastic usage. Recently, many client companies have sympathized with eco-friendly activities in employee cafeterias, so we are carrying out various activities such as eco-friendly containers, eco-friendly menus, and reducing food waste.”