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250129-Food Delivery Service Packaging Problem: Was I Delivering 'Future Trash'?

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otagao
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otagao
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Waste Diary + Personal Narrative
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My Waste Diary

My Waste Diary.

I’ve been keeping detailed records of the waste I produce for the past week. Each day I produced almost the same type, same amount of waste, such as disposable contact lens cases, a few sheets of tissue paper, empty small glass bottle of tonic drink, and so on. On the second day, however, I suddenly found myself with a large amount of waste. Looking back, I realised that the main reason was that I had used Uber to order meals instead of eating out.

Uber packaging (before opening)

Photo of delivered food on arrival. It appears to be already over-packaged even before it is taken out of the bag.

Uber packaging (after opening)

Photo of delivered food after it has been taken out of the bag. The container lid is specially designed for delivery and is hermetically sealed.

The meals delivered by Uber Eats were surprisingly tightly packaged, perhaps to ensure consistent delivery. There were so many layers of disposable materials, including plastic bags, plastic containers and even spoons and condiments individually wrapped for each portion. After taking and reviewing the photos, I realised that if I were to go to a normal restaurant to take away food, it is unlikely that the packaging would be so multi-layered.

In fact, I work as an Uber Eats delivery driver on the side. Normally, I never really thought about the packaging of the food because I felt like I was just carrying it. But when I started using the service, I realised that I was carrying a lot of disposable waste with me every time. It is true that this service offers the convenience of receiving meals in the comfort of your own home and provides many opportunities for people living in inconvenient areas. However, behind this convenience lies a large amount of packaging waste.

Although this type of packaging looks like ordinary household waste, when I added it up it was more than I had imagined. I realised that my lifestyle, my busyness and my desire to “make things easy” were actually responsible for this large amount of waste. In other words, the act of asking for an Uber Eats could be a reflection of my lifestyle.

Life Cycle Analysis
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We will now look at the general life cycle of this “packaging waste from meals delivered by Uber Eats”. First, these packaging materials are mainly plastic, paper and sometimes polystyrene. Plastic containers are made from petroleum-derived raw materials extracted from oil fields around the world and processed in factories. The processed containers are shipped to Japan and then distributed to individual restaurants via warehouses in Japan. Paper bags and paper dividers are also produced in paper mills using forest resources and also go through a number of transport processes before reaching the shops.

The containers and packaging materials provided to the stores are used every time a meal is ordered through Uber Eats. To ensure that the food arrives at the point of order still warm and unbroken, the shop tries to make the containers as stable as possible by stacking them, adding dividers or adding more packaging on the outside. The delivery person then puts it in a bag and carries it to its destination, avoiding rough roads and the risk of it tipping over.

By the time they reach me, the user, they are destined to be thrown into the bin. Even if the material is recyclable, it is often difficult to recycle if it is contaminated. The end result is incineration or landfill, which has a significant environmental impact.1

A bird’s eye view of the lifecycle of these packaging materials shows that they consume large amounts of energy and resources, from production to transport, use and disposal. food delivery services such as Uber are already an ingrained part of modern society’s lifestyle. However, the environmental impact of this convenience should not be overlooked. Uber Eats is aware of this situation and is trying to improve it2, but it is not enough.

Reflection & Conclusion
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Written Reflection
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What surprised me most about this waste record is that just a few food delivery orders can quickly add up to many times the usual amount of packaging waste. There were moments when I felt there was a lot of packaging, but when I actually measured and organised the amount on a daily basis, the sheer volume was more than I had imagined. This experience made me realise that I needed to rethink my lifestyle a bit.

I thought I had always been somewhat environmentally conscious, but I realised that I had not taken into account the packaging waste that comes with actively using food delivery. From now on, even though I want the same convenience, I will try to reduce the waste as much as possible. For example, I would like to start changing my habits in small ways, such as visiting the shops I use frequently in person, or refusing to accept cutlery in packs.

Also, when I think about where these packaging materials are made, how much energy it takes to get here and how they are ultimately disposed of, I feel that my actions are also connected to global environmental issues. I think it is important to remember that we are using resources from all over the world in the comfort of our own homes.

Action Planning
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The first concrete improvement would be to equip delivery staff. Japan originally had a culture of restaurants doing their own delivery, and motorcycles were fitted with special suspension platforms called “delivery machines(出前機)”3. This device allows food to be transported in a stable manner without the need to overpack containers. If such technology could be applied to the food delivery industry, it could lead to a reduction in disposable packaging. However, it may be difficult to provide such equipment to all Uber delivery drivers as they are sole traders and operate independently. Nevertheless, companies could subsidise or partner with certain outlets to introduce them, which would have some impact.

In addition, the use of reusable containers is an effective way to reduce the use of disposable containers. For example, if reusable containers were used to serve meals and then collected by delivery staff at the end of the meal, the amount of waste generated could be significantly reduced. This is a method that has been used in traditional delivery services and is a viable idea if it is operated properly. However, it must be recognised that the introduction of reusable containers places an increased burden on restaurants and delivery staff due to the time and effort required for collection and hygiene management issues. Nevertheless, with support from businesses and local authorities, a more sustainable form of food delivery could be established.

Food delivery is a very convenient and essential service in modern life. However, I felt strongly that the large amount of waste generated on the other side needs to be further discussed and improved in the future. I expect that a sustainable delivery service will be achieved through a combination of awareness raising at the individual level and infrastructure and institutional development in society as a whole.

References
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  1. Plastic Waste Management Institute (2024, March 15). Purasuchikku to risaikuru 8tsu no hatena [Eight questions about plastics and recycling]. https://www.pwmi.or.jp/pdf/panf3.pdf ↩︎

  2. Bernadette Heier (2023, June 8). Uber Eats to End “Unnecessary” Plastic Waste From Deliveries. foodondemand.com https://foodondemand.com/06082023/uber-eats-to-end-unnecessary-plastic-waste-from-deliveries/ ↩︎

  3. Nakagawa-Masashichi Shoten. (2019, December 8). Koborenai demae soba wo sasaeru marushin demaeki, nihon yuiitsu no gijutsu toha [The Marushin delivery machine that supports “no-spill delivery soba” - the only technology of its kind in Japan]. https://story.nakagawa-masashichi.jp/81462 ↩︎