(Renderizado por PriestmanGoode/Dezeen/CASACOR)
According to a 2019 report published by Azoth Analytics, the online food delivery and takeout market is worth an estimated $270.93 billion per year globally. And this revenue can offer insight into the amount of waste produced by the sector, which has only grown with the coronavirus pandemic. Necessary attempts to make the food market less polluting were already taking place even before this period, for example the ban on the distribution of plastic cutlery, cups and plates by the city of São Paulo in January 2020. 
With this urgent scenario in mind, PriestmanGoode, a company based in London, England, has developed the Zero concept, a food delivery system that encourages consumers to use and return bioplastic containers to restaurants for takeout. The
jars and bag would be made from sustainable materials such as cocoa bean shells, mycelium, and pineapple husks. Zero's boxes would have a bento-style stacking system, eliminating the need for individual lids by placing each container on top of the other, with the base of one acting as a lid for the other. (Renderizado por PriestmanGoode/Dezeen/CASACOR)
The system would work on a customer rewards basis: shoppers would pay a small fee for packaging when ordering food, which would be reimbursed on the next delivery when the containers were returned to the delivery service provider. Designed to be transferable between restaurants, the packaging would then be washed by the next food supplier before being used again. (Renderizado por PriestmanGoode/Dezeen/CASACOR)
The studio began the project before the global coronavirus outbreak, but it has only become more relevant as restaurants have turned to delivery to serve customers in a socially distanced way. “It’s an opportunity for design to create something that can contribute to a sense of occasion that is beautiful, practical and sustainable. As a society, we need to move away from a throwaway culture and focus on the principles of the circular economy," PriestmanGoode associate strategy director Jo Rowan told Dezeen. PriestmanGoode researched several food-safe materials that could replace the plastic containers currently used for takeout and delivery meals, and tested them for qualities such as heat resistance, lightweight, recyclability and insulation. The team collaborated with a number of designers to work with more sustainable materials, including Paula Nerlich, who developed a bioplastic made from by-products of the cocoa industry to make up the body of the packaging. (Carolyn Brown/Dezeen/CASACOR)
The material is partly made from cocoa bean shells, which are a byproduct of industrial chocolate production that are separated from the beans during the roasting process. Design studio Ty Syml came up with the idea of using mycelium as insulation in the takeaway delivery bag , while Piñatex – a leather alternative made from cellulose fibers extracted from pineapple leaves – would be used for the bag’s lid. (Renderizado por PriestmanGoode/Dezeen/CASACOR)
A plant-based neoprene-type rubber called Lexcell, developed by Yulex, would be used for food containers and bag handles. The outside of the bag would be composed of Crafting Plastics' Nuatan biodegradable material, made from cornstarch, sugar and waste cooking oil, which can withstand high temperatures. Designer Margarita Talep was also selected to work with the company to create algae-based materials that would replace the cling film currently used to prevent spills. (Renderizado por PriestmanGoode/Dezeen/CASACOR)
The concept was designed as part of Wallpaper magazine's Re-Made project and will be showcased at Salone del Mobile in 2021 as part of an exhibition dedicated to the publication's project. 
