A DISCOUNT app aimed at independent food and drink venues has relaunched in Brighton with a new campaign to tackle single-use packaging.
Wriggle, which first launched in the city in 2016, had partnered with over 500 independent businesses and boasted 30,000 users, but was forced to close temporarily due to coronavirus restrictions.
However, with many restaurants reopening as lockdown eases, the app is making a return with its bring your own lunchbox campaign in a drive to cut plastic waste.
With five million tonnes of plastic used every year in the UK, nearly half of which is packaging, their "lunchbox revolution" aims to encourage customers to take their own containers to local cafes, restaurants and street food stalls.
Wriggle founder Robert Hall said: “Over the past year, restaurants have had to turn to delivery services to keep their businesses alive, and this has led to a surge in single-use plastics used to transport food and drink.
“We hope that as venues start to reopen and customers can visit them safely, we can play an important role in facilitating the use of reusable containers.
“Simple actions like taking your own lunchbox to a cafe is a great way to eliminate the use of unnecessary plastics in our daily routines. It’s all about changing habits and breaking our dependency on single-use, disposable packaging.”
Venues including Bok Shop, Carlito Burrito and Halisco have already signed up to the scheme, with more expected in the coming days and weeks.
Restaurants across the UK have struggled to survive during the pandemic, with almost 30,000 job losses across the industry last year.
Dan Waller, Wriggle’s marketing executive, believes that Wriggle can help provide a much-needed boost to independent businesses after such a challenging time.
He said: “People can discover quality independent venues near them, and really get to grips with the local food and drink community in Brighton.
"This summer, we’ve got some ambitious plans in line with the easing of restrictions, and we hope that the campaigns up our sleeves help us spread the word to support local and love where you live.”
An interactive map of participating venues can be found on their website: https://www.getawriggleon.com
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