From convenience to consequences: The environmental impact of food delivery

For over a decade now, food delivery services and apps have been growing in popularity. As per the latest quarterly report, leading food delivery app DoorDash reported total orders increased 18% year-over-year to a whopping 643 million orders in the last three months! The other companies in this space are growing at a similar rate some at similar scale while others from smaller numbers.  All food delivery companies promise convenience, variety, and sometimes even healthy options on the menu. But there isn't a whole lot talked about the sustainability (or lack of it) behind these billions of takeout containers!

Let’s take a look at what gives meal delivery its environmental downsides.

Packaging 

The most obvious, and irreversible effect is the over usage of single-use plastics in the packaging used by delivery services. An environmentally conscious person will eventually feel a bit guilty when they check the boxes, lids,  ice packs, cutlery, straws, bags, and more that stack up in our homes with each order we place. Not all of those containers can really be used for storing leftover food and almost all of them just end up in a landfill. According to environmental news medium EcoWatch, an enormous 44% of all ocean plastics are linked to takeout food. 

Food Waste

Fresh ingredients don't stay fresh for long when meals have to travel long distances in high temperatures. Many people can’t finish the food they order as the portion sizes are rather large, leaving leftovers in the fridge for days. Then it is thrown out in trash in the same takeout containers. Globally, the carbon footprint of food waste is estimated to be a staggering 3.3 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent, with households contributing a significant 43% to this figure.

Ingredients

Most people are unaware of where the ingredients in their food delivery come from and whether those sources are sustainable. Services that are built for the price conscious customer often compromise environmental sustainability by sourcing ingredients that come from hundreds of miles away. As per this USDA article, the USA imports 60% of its fresh fruit and 38% of its fresh vegetables. It is much harder and expensive to find a restaurant that delivers food cooked with locally sourced ingredients.

What choice do we have?

Food delivery epitomizes the ultimate convenience of modern times but we pay for it not only with our own, but also our planet’s health. If you are looking for an option that prioritizes the sustainability of our planet, home cooking is the way to go. Even if you’re no master in the kitchen, juggling two toddlers while trying to send an email, or barely surviving the daily commute, there’s still a way to make home cooking part of your routine.

Viva Chefs makes it easy to enjoy healthy, delicious, and personalized meals that fit your tastes and lifestyle. With an experienced chef in your kitchen, you enjoy fully customized meals without the hassle of cooking, while ensuring those groceries—bought with the best intentions for healthy home-cooked meals—don’t go to waste. For once, convenience does not have to be at the expense of the planet 🌍