The harm of takeaway garbage to the environment

Takeaway packaging waste has led to a significant increase in the amount of urban domestic waste, while the capacity of a city's sanitation system and its terminal processing capacity such as landfills and incinerators are limited. The pressure on the urban sanitation system is very high. Most areas have begun to ban plastic and launch disposable degradable tableware products.

Data recently released by online food delivery platforms show that the total daily order volume in the country is about 20 million. With the rapid development of the food delivery industry, the harm caused by food delivery waste to the environment has become increasingly prominent. Recently, a survey conducted by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily and Questionnaire.com on 2,012 respondents showed that 75.5% of the respondents have realized the harm of food delivery waste to the environment, and 41.1% of the respondents are willing to pay for the disposal of food delivery waste. 66.9% of the respondents suggested promoting degradable and environmentally friendly lunch boxes and reducing the use of plastic lunch boxes. Among the respondents, 19.3% were born in the 1990s, 53.2% were born in the 1980s, 20.0% were born in the 1970s, 6.2% were born in the 1960s, 0.9% were born in the 1950s, and 0.4% were born in the 1980s.

75.5% of the respondents know the harm of takeaway garbage to the environment
In the survey, 43.3% of the respondents often order takeaways, and 53.0% of the respondents occasionally order takeaways. Xiao Zhao (pseudonym), an employee of a media company in Zhengzhou, orders takeaways 3 to 4 times a week on average. "I usually try to finish my food and leave no leftovers. Most takeaway boxes are thrown away directly. Some particularly large plastic boxes will be washed and used as food storage boxes, but takeaway bags are generally not kept." Xiao Lin (pseudonym), a student at a university in Shanghai, does not often order takeaways. "Sometimes I just throw the takeaway box into the trash can. If there is a special recycling trash can, he usually throws it into the non-recyclable trash can." In the survey, 34.8% of the respondents will separate plastic garbage and food garbage after takeaways, 50.0% of the respondents occasionally do so, and 15.2% of the respondents never distinguish. Xiao Xiao (pseudonym), an employee of a state-owned enterprise in Shenzhen, rarely orders takeaways. "I don't know whether takeout is hygienic, and takeout garbage is extremely harmful to the environment. Not ordering takeout is also protecting the environment." The survey shows that 75.5% of the respondents know the harm caused by takeout garbage to the environment, 10.9% don't know, and 13.6% are unsure.

At present, most of the takeout garbage mixed with kitchen waste, plastic lunch boxes, and packaging bag garbage can only be "mixed" into urban domestic waste and enter the garbage disposal system, and finally incinerated or landfilled like ordinary garbage. Jiang Jianguo, a professor at the Institute of Solid Waste Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, said that directly recycling lunch boxes that have been used for food is relatively low in value. "From the perspective of the sanitation system, takeaway packaging waste has caused a significant increase in the amount of urban domestic waste, but a city's sanitation system, such as landfills and incinerators, has limited processing and terminal processing capabilities, and the pressure on the city's sanitation system is very high. How should takeaway waste be managed in the future? Can it be reduced at the source? How can it be effectively classified and guided to increase the recycling rate? In addition to the processing fees charged by catering factories and takeaway platforms, corresponding policy guidance is also needed in technology and management. Improving materials will increase costs. How to make consumers willing to spend more money to contribute to environmental protection and take more responsibility are all issues that need to be considered."