Deliveroo, Pho and Sheffield Hallam University team up to rethink delivery packaging

Deliveroo, Pho and Sheffield Hallam University have launched the third edition of the Deliveroo Sustainable Packaging Challenge, inviting students to develop new packaging concepts designed to improve the delivery experience while supporting sustainability goals.

The initiative forms part of Sheffield Hallam University's Higher Degree Apprenticeship Packaging Professional programme and follows previous collaborations involving GAIL'S in 2025 and the inaugural challenge in 2024.

This year's competition focuses on two items of Pho's delivery packaging: a bag used for fresh herbs and chillies, and a container designed to keep rice and curry separate during transport. Students have been tasked with developing packaging concepts that help food arrive hot, fresh and spill-free, while incorporating more sustainable design principles.

Participants will have just under five months to design and prototype their concepts, working with guidance from specialists at Deliveroo and Pho throughout the project. The winning design will be selected during a final exhibition, with the successful team receiving a £1,500 prize and the opportunity to explore bringing the concept to market in collaboration with Pho.

Pho has worked exclusively with Deliveroo since joining the platform in 2014, when the restaurant group operated 25 locations. The business has since expanded to more than 50 sites across the UK.

Deliveroo are really excited to launch our third Sustainable Packaging Challenge with Sheffield Hallam University, this year partnering with Pho. We want to prove that innovative, sustainable packaging can be affordable for businesses in the delivery sector. By bringing business and academia together, we’re fast-tracking creative sustainable solutions into the market. We can’t wait to see what the students come up with!

Eleanor Garnier, Senior Policy Advisor, Deliveroo.

According to the partners, the challenge is intended to encourage collaboration between industry and higher education while giving students the opportunity to develop practical packaging solutions for food delivery. The project also supports Deliveroo's wider sustainability ambitions by exploring new approaches to delivery packaging through real-world design challenges.