Just Eat Takeaway Austria adopts Xampla’s Morro-coated plant-based packaging

Lieferando, operated by parent company Just Eat Takeaway, has adopted Xampla’s Morro-coated packaging in Austria.

The move follows Germany and the UK’s adoption of the plant protein-based packaging technology. We speak with Alexandra French, CEO at Xampla, about the key drivers for industry change away from conventional plastic. We also discuss why 2025 has been a “breakthrough year” for Xampla.

“Morro coating is the world’s first barrier coating for takeaway boxes made from natural plant polymers. Already in the market with leading brands like Just Eat Takeaway, Morro coating offers high-performance heat, grease, and water resistance for the foodservice industry,” French, tells Packaging Insights.

Lieferando’s managing director, Natascha Mauthner, comments: “Due to their durability and thermal insulation, these packages are suitable for a wide range of foods and dishes — including greasy meals that are traditionally difficult to transport.”

“We’re all the more pleased that this unique solution can now be ordered via our partner webshop in Austria and used by our local restaurant partners.”

French adds that the UK and German markets have demonstrated that the consumer demand for “genuinely plastic-free packaging remains strong and continues to grow.”

“Research shows that, in 2025, more than 54% of consumers would pay more for sustainable packaging, while separate polling reveals that approximately 85% of consumers want unnecessary single-use plastics banned worldwide.”

Driving industry change

The expansion of Morro coating to another European market demonstrates how demand for authentic alternatives is reshaping the food delivery sector, according to French.

Alexandra French, CEO at Xampla.She says Xampla is giving Lieferando’s 45,000+ German and Austrian restaurant partners access to packaging that meets consumer expectations and performance requirements “without environmental compromise.”

“As the growing Lieferando and Huhtamaki partnership shows, we’re operating at a significant and growing commercial scale and are on target to replace ten billion items of single-use plastic in the next five years.”

Xampla recently signed a licensing deal with 2M Group of Companies, Huhtamaki, and Transcend Packaging. French says the collaboration has allowed the company to scale up rapidly and meet industry demand for “genuinely plastic-free materials that also deliver on performance.” 

Recent recognitions for Xampla include “Packaging of the Year” at the Responsible Packaging Expo, “Innovation of the Year” at the UK Packaging Awards, Gold in the “Food-on-the-go: Takeaway” category at the Environmental Packaging Live Awards, and winning the E-Commerce category at Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards.

“These industry accolades have positioned Xampla as the leading developer of commercial-scale, plastic-free natural polymer packaging solutions.”

Biodegradable in all environments French asserts that since Morro is made from plants and chemically unmodified, it is readily biodegradable in all environments, “including industrial composting, home composting (the industry’s gold standard), soil and water, ultimately leaving nothing harmful behind.” 

“Based on 15 years of research at the University of Cambridge, UK, Morro coating is proven ‘plastic-free’ as defined in the EU’s REACH and SUPD, and is the only barrier coating to have been demonstrated as plastic-free by the National Physical Laboratory, a world-leading measurement institute.”

Morro coatings can also be processed by various existing waste streams, she continues.

“They have been certified by DS Smith as ‘Best in Class’ for recyclability, and they are also biodegradable in all environments and home compostable. No matter where it ends up, Morro coating leaves nothing harmful behind.”

Ensuring transparency

French says Morro is plant-based and chemically unmodified, making it biodegradable in all environments (Image credit: Xampla).Discussing some of the challenges Xample has faced in scaling the adoption of Morro, French highlights the need to fit within existing packaging supply chains, making it easy for customers to make the switch to our materials from plastic.

“To facilitate this, we designed our material from the very beginning to be a ‘drop-in’ solution, meaning that Morro coatings can be used on the same packaging manufacturing lines as traditional plastic coatings. This was essential for the commercial viability of Morro coatings, and its rapid market adoption shows how important this approach has been to its success.”

A second challenge she outlines is “navigating the widespread confusion and greenwashing” in the sustainable packaging market.

“The term ‘bioplastic’ encompasses a broad range of materials — some bio-based, some biodegradable, and some neither — which has created considerable uncertainty for brands seeking genuinely plastic-free alternatives,” she explains.

“Many materials carrying a ‘bio’ prefix still contain plastic polymers and can persist in the environment for decades, yet are marketed as sustainable solutions.”

French says Xampla has tackled the hurdles stemming from greenwashing in the industry by pursuing “rigorous, independent validation that provides clarity amid the confusion.”
“Transparency helps brands cut through the greenwashing and make authentically circular choices for their packaging.”