Case Study
Case Study
How Swiggy tested microplastic-free packaging across 30 burger destinations
How Swiggy tested microplastic-free packaging across 30 burger destinations
Overview
Overview
Swiggy is India’s leading on-demand food and convenience platform, shaping how millions of urban consumers eat every day. Burgers are among the most ordered items on the platform and a core part of modern comfort food culture. For International Burger Day, Swiggy set out to transform its flagship #IndiasCoolestBurgers campaign into more than a celebration of taste — using it as a live demonstration of how climate-forward packaging can work at real delivery scale.
Swiggy is India’s leading on-demand food and convenience platform, shaping how millions of urban consumers eat every day. Burgers are among the most ordered items on the platform and a core part of modern comfort food culture. For International Burger Day, Swiggy set out to transform its flagship #IndiasCoolestBurgers campaign into more than a celebration of taste — using it as a live demonstration of how climate-forward packaging can work at real delivery scale.
The problem
The problem
Most burgers are delivered in plastic-lined paper boxes that persist long after the meal is finished, accumulating in landfills, drains, and incineration streams. These materials introduce microplastics into ecosystems while remaining invisible to consumers. Swiggy wanted to replace these boxes with packaging that was genuinely microplastic-free and safe for waterways, without compromising the food experience or asking restaurants to change how they operate.
Most burgers are delivered in plastic-lined paper boxes that persist long after the meal is finished, accumulating in landfills, drains, and incineration streams. These materials introduce microplastics into ecosystems while remaining invisible to consumers. Swiggy wanted to replace these boxes with packaging that was genuinely microplastic-free and safe for waterways, without compromising the food experience or asking restaurants to change how they operate.
The solution
The solution
Zerocircle partnered with Swiggy to launch a special-edition seaweed-coated burger box for the #IndiasCoolestBurgers campaign. The boxes were engineered to be microplastic-free, greaseproof, leak-proof, and compatible with existing restaurant workflows. On International Burger Day, Swiggy rolled out these boxes as a one-for-one replacement for conventional plastic-lined containers — proving that sustainable packaging can perform under demanding, real-world delivery conditions.
Zerocircle partnered with Swiggy to launch a special-edition seaweed-coated burger box for the #IndiasCoolestBurgers campaign. The boxes were engineered to be microplastic-free, greaseproof, leak-proof, and compatible with existing restaurant workflows. On International Burger Day, Swiggy rolled out these boxes as a one-for-one replacement for conventional plastic-lined containers — proving that sustainable packaging can perform under demanding, real-world delivery conditions.
A cultural food moment became a systems-level test — and proof — that plastic-free packaging can work at delivery scale.
A cultural food moment became a systems-level test — and proof — that plastic-free packaging can work at delivery scale.
Pilot and scale
Pilot and scale
30,000 seaweed-coated burger boxes supplied free of cost to restaurant partners in the first phase. Deployment across 30 high-volume burger destinations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Noida, Gurgaon, and Faridabad. No operational changes required for restaurant kitchens or delivery workflows. The rollout demonstrated that drop-in, microplastic-free packaging can scale across dense cities, long delivery radii, and high-order volumes.
30,000 seaweed-coated burger boxes supplied free of cost to restaurant partners in the first phase. Deployment across 30 high-volume burger destinations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Noida, Gurgaon, and Faridabad. No operational changes required for restaurant kitchens or delivery workflows. The rollout demonstrated that drop-in, microplastic-free packaging can scale across dense cities, long delivery radii, and high-order volumes.
The
Impact
The
Impact
Plastic avoidance: 30,000 plastic-lined burger boxes eliminated in a single campaign phase.
Restaurant-ready adoption: Cult burger brands and cloud kitchens transitioned seamlessly without changing equipment or processes.
Brand leadership: Swiggy embedded sustainability into one of its most emotional, high-visibility food moments rather than isolating it as a side initiative.
Performance validation: Zerocircle’s seaweed-based barrier coatings matched the demands of greasy, high-moisture foods across long delivery distances.
Plastic avoidance: 30,000 plastic-lined burger boxes eliminated in a single campaign phase.
Restaurant-ready adoption: Cult burger brands and cloud kitchens transitioned seamlessly without changing equipment or processes.
Brand leadership: Swiggy embedded sustainability into one of its most emotional, high-visibility food moments rather than isolating it as a side initiative.
Performance validation: Zerocircle’s seaweed-based barrier coatings matched the demands of greasy, high-moisture foods across long delivery distances.
