In today’s technological-addled life, every service seems to be demanded to offer customers the most convenient way to approach them. People are expected to be served without having to move out of their home. However, a severe problem has emerged to cause direct damage to the environment resulting from this trend. It’s the phenomenon of packaging from food delivery services being thrown away after one time of use.
Firstly, in terms of consequences, this kind of waste not only does direct harm to the nature, but also alleviates urban aesthetic. Because of its non-biodegradable material, which is plastic, the packaging waste however been thrown into the bins or on the streets, will still end up in, or an animal’s stomach, or a tremendous landfill with tons of other plastic bags waiting to be recycled despondently. Continuously, those packages will play an intergral part in different types of pollution. On the other hand, considering the smell and the uneco-friendly look, this kind of waste will reflect the low awareness of people where it belongs to, not to mention that it will also make the area look less attractive. Therefore, the quality of environment, people’s health and tourism of the area will all be badly affected by that one of the most common kinds of waste – food packaging.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean we don’t have any solutions to cope with the current status quo. Since we’re sure that we can never stop people from ordering food online due to the rapid development of technology, and the fact that some just don’t have enough time to either go out or cook food at home, we can incline towards the idea of replacing the material of the packaging. Except from liquid food, all other types can be packed in paper or sugarcane bagasse boxes. For example, if a customer orders pho, the restaurant can put the soup in a separate plastic storage but all the others, such as the noodles, the vegetables, meet, … in different eco-friendly packages with the materials listed. Morover, restaurants can try to make the plastic boxes more durable than usual in order to encourage buyers to use them more than once. By that way, although we can not aboilish plastic 100%, an effective change will still be witnessed through time.
The only other solution is to depend on the self-perception of each individuals to offer a hand to protect the environment. Each person should limit their times of ordering food online, and try to recycle plastic packages in the most optimal manner. Food brands can underpin more positive behaviours by utilizing their fame to build up slogans, devise environmental campaigns or offer special promotions for customers who choose eco-friendly packages. By that way, consumers won’t feel like they’re the only one who have to force themselves to do more to protect the environment, but everyone does.
To sum up, although it’s undeniable that food delivery has brought so much benefits to our life, it’s our responsible not to make it a constraint, a threat to the environment which is believed to have become worse in recent years. By small but steady steps, each person can take part in the revolution not just for healthier bodies and animals but also more beautiful, clean surroundings.