Gousto is a meal delivery service that enables customers to prepare dishes quickly whilst avoiding excess food waste. Subscriptions can be tailored to suit individual requirements from individuals to families.

We started using Gousto just before lockdown. My wife, concerned about unused food going to waste, mentioned she had found a good introductory deal. In my default anti-marketing stance, I assumed we would sign up, forget to cancel after the introduction, and stick with an average, over-priced subscription. I am glad to say I was completely wrong.

I have been genuinely impressed with Gousto. The recipes are great, the ingredients fresh, portion sizes generous, and since starting our subscription it has saved time, food waste, and improved our diet. The usually fussy children have also embraced new foods – with them strangely regarding Gousto meals as above suspicion.

Since we started I have noticed improvements and changes in their use of packaging, which has been great to observe. I was also happy to see they are B Corp registered, although I was the only one who noticed :  )  

However, when opening the box the other day, I was still shocked by the volume of plastic despite their improvements and B Corp status.

This got me wondering –

I have spoken directly with people who have been through the B Corp application process and someone who actually works there. I am convinced it is very difficult to qualify, so I have no issue with B Corp.

Therefore, I decided to do a bit of research specifically on Gousto.

I found a review of recipe boxes by Kate at Green Eco-Friend. I do not want to steal her content, so I would recommend giving it a read if you are considering this route. She reviews the following options –

As mentioned I will be particularly harsh to counteract my bias.

They state in their blog that they print their recipe cards with Seacourt, the world’s leading sustainable printer. This is quite a bold claim unless there is some kind of Premier League for global sustainable printers I am unaware of. Gousto proceed to state –

I think this comment is disingenuous. I do not dispute Seacourt's credentials, but it seems impossible to me that using resources and power of any form can be better for the environment than if those resources remained unused.

Continuing with paper consumption, Gousto has embraced intelligent packaging to optimise box sizing relative to the contents subsequently leading to fewer lorries to deliver the boxes. This is good news, although it may be driven primarily by cost-efficiency gains rather than eco.

They go on to say they have switched to cardboard punnets – which leads to the question why were punnets ever not cardboard? – and reduced the plastic packaging for tomatoes by 79%. 

Potatoes are now loose in the box – but I am confused as to why they were ever packaged in the first place.

For recipes requiring bread, they have doubled up rolls into one bag vs two – which I have not witnessed yet – but surely the bags could be switched for paper?

A tricky area is sauce sachets – which are one of my pet hates. Gousto claims they have stopped sending out multiple small mayo sachets, instead sending one with the correct amount for the meal. They have also switched suppliers leading to a reduction in the plastic used by 50%. For herbs, this has been reduced by an average of 25%. I feel with the progress being made with companies such as Notpla, there must be better alternatives to their current use of plastic.

For the packaging of fish, they have stopped using black plastic which can not be recycled. Personally, I can not understand why legislation has not been brought in to eradicate the use of black plastic in food packaging. I know it is better from an aesthetic perspective, but most ready meals have a cardboard sleeve with photoshopped images on anyway. By the time you see the unappetising reality, it is too late to turn back  ;  )

Gousto's eggs are now packaged in cardboard containers using recycled stock, replacing the previous plastic pots. For this point, I think they are really reaching. Why would you ever put eggs in a plastic box to start with? They are one of the few products, that in my experience, have always been packaged in cardboard, hardly groundbreaking.

Another element that caused me confusion was their ice packs, which are plastic wrapped with paper. This appeared to be an unnecessary waste of resources. Gousto answered this by saying testing found that when ice packs melt the build-up of condensation could lead to moisture damage. The wrapper is made from a heat-sealable layer, which is recyclable with normal paper.

However, the plastic is only recyclable at supermarkets. I see this on a lot of products and for me, it is a waste of time. No one is going to collect every piece of plastic of this nature for a separate weekly drop-off at the supermarket. Especially when they started a Gousto subscription to avoid visiting supermarkets in the first place!

With regard to this statement, Gousto backs up their claim with the following assurance –

I will admit, I do not fully understand this, but the figures stated do seem reasonable / logical and the verification sounds legitimate.

They are aiming to 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable own-brand packaging by 2025, in line with the UK Plastics Pact. According to Gousto, 72% of packaging across their own-brand ingredients is now recyclable.

A more exciting move is their collaboration with natural packaging experts Xampla. According to Gousto, this has led to the development of the world’s first edible stock sachets made from peas. This provides a zero-waste alternative to the plastic sachets that previously carried their vegetable stock powder.

This is the type of innovation I would like to see more of – applying similar techniques to other plastic packaging and sachets – rather than expecting credit for using a cardboard box for eggs!

As with everything, the price decreases with volume so it may not be cost-effective for individuals. We have a subscription for a 4-person box containing 4 recipes per week. This works out to £2.99 per serving. Based on the quality, and quantity which often leads to leftovers for additional meals, I think it is good value.