Recently, the cover paper of "Nature-Food" "Sharing tableware reduces the generation of Chinese take-out packaging waste and water consumption" was published online in the form of a research long article.

The study constructed a paper replacement scenario and a shared tableware scenario to compare their waste reduction and environmental reduction potential.

The study found that the paper replacement scenario can reduce 57% of plastic waste and 49% of carbon dioxide, but generates an additional 493 thousand tons of paper waste (equivalent to 1.5 times the waste output of the basic scenario), 79% of nitrogen oxides, 465% of dioxins, and 89% The emission of chemical oxygen demand consumes an additional 43% of water resources. For bags with the same load-bearing volume, paper bags are 7 times heavier than plastic bags.

For cities that have not yet established a garbage sorting and recycling system, paper replacement is not the best solution to the problem of takeaway garbage.

Shared tableware has a significant environmental emission reduction effect, which can reduce 92% of take-out waste, more than two-thirds of the environmental impact and water consumption. It can be piloted in cities with large take-out sales.

Figure 1 Life cycle carbon dioxide and air pollutant emissions of food delivery by tableware and packaging types under different scenarios

Figure 2 Life cycle chemical oxygen demand emissions and water consumption of take-out food by tableware and packaging types under different scenarios