The world is changing at a very fast pace! One second, you are thinking of an advanced solution for a problem, and the next second, you find that its solution already exists. All you need is simply one Google search away. In this fast-paced society, ordering food online isn’t a new concept by any means. Many food businesses are doing great with the help of online food delivery apps. However, the amount of plastics used in the packaging and delivery of food parcels is very harmful to the environment. The excessive use of disposable cutlery in food delivery is the hidden cost behind the convenience involved. Let us understand the issue in detail.
The issue with Disposable Cutlery
Disposable cutlery is mostly made of plastic and is widely used with almost all food delivery orders. It might seem like a small addition to the meal, necessary even, but it has a lasting negative impact on the environment. Let’s take a look at why:
Microplastic Pollution: Plastic pollution has reached levels we cannot even imagine. It breaks down into microplastics and can enter our food chain.
Harmful for Animals: Plastic can be ingested by animals if they mistake it for food and it can even prove to be fatal for them.
Depletion of Resources: Making plastic cutlery consumes a lot of resources, such as water, petroleum, and energy. Excessive use of disposable plates and spoons in food delivery implies that these resources are being wasted on something that can be avoided.
Overall Plastic Pollution: Plastic cutlery contributes to the world’s plastic pollution. These items are usually single-use plastics, which significantly increase non-biodegradable waste in oceans, landfills, and rivers. If plastic waste decomposes at all, it can take hundreds of years.
Advantages of Saying No To Disposable Cutlery
There are many benefits to avoiding single-use plastics, like disposable cutlery. Some of the notable benefits are:
Reduced Carbon footprint: The disposable cutlery leaves behind a huge carbon footprint, i.e., greenhouse gas emissions. If you eliminate this kind of cutlery, you can largely reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Less Plastic Waste: Single-use plastics are a huge contributor to plastic pollution around the house. Reducing the amount of plastic in landfills worldwide will directly reduce the amount of plastic in the environment.
Save more resources: The resources that are consumed in producing disposable cutlery can all be saved by reducing their use.
Sustainable best practices: Everyone, from the restaurants to the customers, must take responsibility for reducing the usage of plastic cutlery in food delivery.
How to Ensure You Say No To Disposable Cutlery: The Right Way To Do It!
Reducing the use of disposable cutlery can be a very good start to contributing to the environment’s health. It will be a commendable initiative that can be taken not only by food delivery platforms and restaurants but also by the customers. Some ways in which you can do this are listed below:
Choose the right delivery platform: Many online food delivery platforms are available, but only a few are conscious enough to take steps to address this issue. You need to choose a platform dedicated to minimizing environmental damage from food delivery.
Check your order properly before confirming: Some food delivery platforms have special options of cutlery to choose from. There can be a default setting in those options too. It is best you check your order for all inclusions before you confirm it.
Add instructions: Almost every food delivery platform offers a special instruction option. You can simply add “avoid disposable cutlery in food delivery” as a special instruction. This simple instruction can go a long way toward saving the cutlery that would have gone to waste.
Get your own cutlery: We know you might sometimes really need disposable cutlery as you might not have access to your own cutlery at all times. If you are somebody who regularly orders food from food delivery platforms, you can consider buying reusable eco-friendly cutlery. This might not be needed if you are ordering at home, but you can have a spare set of cutlery in your office for times when you order food and snacks at work. This can be a set of bamboo cutlery, steel cutlery, or ceramic cutlery; the choice is yours.
Spread the word: If you have read this far, you are a true enthusiast against plastic pollution. You should share your thoughts with your friends and family and encourage them to say no to disposable cutlery in food packages. You can share the environmental benefits of the same to ensure they are on the same page as you.
Support eco-friendly restaurants & food delivery platforms: There are many restaurants that are actively working towards minimizing their carbon footprint. They are using eco-friendly cutlery that too only for orders where it is absolutely necessary. Ordering from these platforms and restaurants will encourage them to keep doing their good work.
Final Words
Being a responsible customer is a part of being a responsible citizen. When we start caring for the environment, the environment will take care of us in return. Saying no to disposable cutlery is a step towards resource conservation, reducing plastic waste, and a healthy environment overall. Food delivery platforms like Swiggy are more than conscious of the overall betterment of the environment. They are aware of the carbon footprint food delivery leaves behind, and they are making every conscious effort to reduce it. Responsible consumers all over India are choosing Swiggy over other food delivery platforms for this very reason. This is high time to be conscious about everyday choices and making healthy decisions not only about our bodies but also about the environment.
