I Tried Zero Waste Food Delivery (DeliverZero) | One Small Step
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ต.ค. 2020
- We've all felt the guilt: You get takeout for dinner and your order comes with a ton of single-use packaging. There's got to be a better way, so we set out to discover if takeout could go zero-waste 🍴
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In 2016, an estimated 560 billion disposable foodservice items were used in the U.S. And food deliveries with such items have jumped during the pandemic.
'At scale, a billion takeout containers ending up in landfills every year is so much more problematic than washing a billion takeout containers,' says Lauren Sweeney, the co-founder of DeliverZero. Her startup allows customers to order takeout with reusable containers instead of single-use items. The company says each of its containers can withstand 1,000 uses.
'In New York City, we estimate that it's 22.9 billion individual, disposable foodservice items [that are thrown out] per year,' says researcher Rich Grousset. 'This is something we can easily do something about.'
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I hope they move this to other states as well. I would love to support this
No. We need this worldwide!
I wish at the VERY least restaurants would give you the option to uncheck utensils/napkins/etc. when you order so you don't have to get them. Because usually even when I say in the notes to exclude these I get them anyways :/
It's common in Europe to only get them if you ask.
@@michellezevenaar Yet another thing Europe does better than the US lol. You think it's my "right" to ask to not have those, the violated my right!
@@kristaw206 i think its good customer service to let the person ordering deside what they want in their order. They do automatic opt because people will do the extra work of the extra menu click for something they really want. When people are moving house or eating at the office they choose to have the extras because they don't want to eat with their hands. People ordering for home delivery often would forget to remove the cutlery from the order then not use it when they find it in their order.
This happened to me, too. I always say no utensils when I pick up because I have them at home, and then when I get home, I see they've included them anyway. That's on me for not checking before I drive away :(
I’ve seen this option a lot the last few years and have used it a few times but I often need napkins so I wish it was pick and choose.
Would anyone else appreciate a Yelp filter for takeout packaging? Either a tab for photos or a filter similar to Uber Eat’s?
I do realize the issue with the filter is how “sustainable” is defined, which can change between regions and time.
Meanwhile, it’d be a great angle for a vlogger, Yelp Reviewer, Influencer, etc to get takeout systematically and log what places have what.
Heard an NPR report on this exact topic!
I'd appreciate a Yelp bankruptcy. They are so evil. I had one restaurant owner tell me she was afraid of the Yelp rep because it felt like a shakedown. My experience as a business owner has also been terrible.
I wouldn't leave it with the sustainable marker. Make them more specific.
There is this site called Avocadostore, which is basically like a sustainable Amazon, and they have very clear sustainability markers for the products they sell. I would appreciate sth like this to be available with location and map based applications for restaurants, stores etc.
This is actually a really good idea like glass beer bottles that get washed then reused.
Maybe have standard container types/sizes and have a centralized return with a small refund (like a liquor store for beer bottles). Then they are washed and restaurants can use them again.
That's exactly what we were thinking. Leaving the cleaning up to the restaurant is just asking for trouble. I wouldn't trust all restaurants to properly clean the containers.
Over in Mexico we use and have been using that reusable glass bottles method for a long time now, it’s great 👍🏼 if you go to the store and want to buy some pop or beer and you don’t have the glass bottle you have to pay so it’s pretty effective.
@@jameson3359 I'm sure that could work if you always keep your own bottles.
I know this method is used in a few countries with soda (and probably beer). Shops just have a drop off crate that the recyclers come to pick up to clean & refill.
@@Bitha4 in Norway and Germany you have the empty bottle machine in the supermarket where you return it and get shop credit. The whole selling price of a drink already entails the "refund price". If you return it, you will get this extra cents back. The refund value depends on the type of glass or plastic or can.
In the UK a lot of plastic bottles and some cans have a " refund price" tag on them, so if you were to take them to a collecting center you would get paid out. This was a long ago, so this system might have changed.. but I while I was there tho I've been told that I should refrain from it cause this activity was for homeless people. I was speechless, cause in Norway where people are rich they did recycle their bottles and there was no shame in it. It's not like you're robbing a bank if you find some bottles other people threw away and return it. You are helping with the waste problem.
The technologies and refund machines are around since ages BUT
People need to change their mindset as whole for this to work.
I reuse most of the containers! They are great for putting snacks in for kids or leftovers in the fridge. The ones without lids i use to hold water under my plants.
I use take out containers multiple times before I throw them out.
Sameeee 😂
Same here and I recycle what I can.
Same, and also things from the store, like lunch meat boxes, cottage cheese, etc.
Honestly I wish you can just ask the delivery person to wait 2 minutes, while you transfer the food into your own dishes & give them back to him if returning is a headache for u.
If that is the case, the customer should have the option to choose to do that so that another disposable should not be thrown out once you transfer the food. The restaurant will know in advance that the customer wishes to transfer the food so they will use a reusable container when its delivered. Unfortunately, such a system is still not available. Although a good idea, the real life implementation and effect won't be applied as most deliveries are done at workplaces where kitchen products are not available.
That is so awesome. I saw the same idea on college campuses where you got food to go and returned the container the next day. I'm guessing that is on hold right now...
In our uni, single-use plastic is banned and we either provide our own reuseable containers when buying food in the cafeteria or pay a deposit to borrow one.
This is quickly becoming one of my favourite TH-cam channels!
How did your account get verified with only 74 subscribers? 🤔
The whole world desperatley needs such eco friendly start ups!
Where I live we have re-cup, which is for coffee to go. You pay for the sturdy plastic cup and can return it (get the money back) at every coffee shop that cooperates with re-cup (which are actually quite a few)
LOVE this video, channel, and host and really appreciate the researcher’s work. I will say that out of ALL the times I added the note “no plastic utensils or sauces” (at least a dozen times), they STILL ended up in my bag. Bc of COVID, I couldn’t give them back.
I even started calling to reinforce “NO plastic utensils. NO plastic sauce packets. Only the food, please” and 1 time ended up with double the amount. It’s a tough habit to break, I think
Ya same problem. I think it's because not enough people do this and hence they tend to just forget about the occasional ask because of their busy work.
As someone that’s worked in a fast food establishment that had a lot of takeout orders...it becomes a habit to give every order a pair of utensils, condiment packet, straw, or napkins (this of course depends on what they order). They could have read your notes and then forgotten by the time your food was done/packed and put utensils without thinking about it. If you really don’t want your utensils then leave them wrapped in the plastic packaging and see if you can donate them to a food bank or something (with some food of course). If they don’t take them right now because of COVID then just save them in a container and give them to a friend or family member to use during the holidays if they have the habit of using disposable cutlery during that time.
Im dealing with the same problem as you!!!
@@Lisaand11, :)
Oh btw if you end up with wooden chopsticks that you dont need, they work great as supports for potted herbs! My basil was kind of droopy and the chopsticks worked well for the stems to lean against
Mason jars are reusable, a lot more hygienic and durable than plastic, not to mention readily available for most foods and any kinds of drink.
Lucy is here again showing us these great ideas! Not only is it environmentally friendly but it makes sense for the businesses economically and is guilt free for all parties. Obviously they can go a little further i.e a bag to be sent back and reused as well etc.
Thank you for sharing this information we need more companies like this for every restaurant loved it 😃👍
Great video! I don't particularly like plastic, but its use it today's world is too valuable and convenient. This new system is a great way to utilize plastic in an eco-friendly fashion and I hope this can inspire the rest of the country, and even the world, to adopt.
Like you say plastic is not necessarily bad if used correctly. It depends on the systems behind it.
This is so exciting! I can’t wait for this to make its way through the rest of NY and eventually the country!
This is exactly what I needed, thank you New York 🙏🏼😭
I love this!!!
I just filled out an online request form for a couple of restaurants in my county! This is WONDERFUL!!!
Annoying how the responsibility falls on each customer/consumer to make the sustainable choices. One restaurant could do more good in an hour than I could all year.
In the end that's really what it comes down to. Never underestimate the power of the individual. Restaurants can only do so much. I personal just wash and reuse the take out containers 🤷
Great work!! Keep spreading the good info!
Home cooked meals are another step
In Indonesia we use banana leaf for food hahaha, u can always throw it out anywhere in the ground
It's not fancy enough for murica, if you want less plastic waste cook yourself or bring your own fancy container to takeaway shop. Most of the answer already there in our parents era but if there is no tech word on it it's not good enough. A simple no utensils no napkins option button in every delivery apps will do more than this unhygienic system. The problem is not the plastic container itself but the single use mentality of the modern society. A single stainless steel traditional food flask can last for years even decades. But hey the solution is to reuse a thicker plastic container that can be reuse few times, and gods know what other customers do before it end up with your food, and hey you need to bring it back or you get charge, brilliant.
Oh, I live in NYC. Need to give this a try. Esp with the pandemic, the amount of packaging waste I get rid of makes me cry...
This is a great step in the right direction, my concern is that your hot food gets still delivered in plastic containers that leach chemicals into the food it's supposed to protect. How can we solve this problem?
That is so on point. Endocrine disruption due to synthetic chemicals especially styrene and BPA or BPS is a seriously overlooked issue.
@@AnkurShah Thank you. I am always blown away by how we replace something but with stronger plastic. Why not get away from plastic ?
@@Zerowasteman Exactly, plastic does have uses in terms of food preservation and low density but it should be minimized in the food industry altogether. Mycelium packaging is becoming a thing and companies like Ecovative are leading the way. I hope to see mushroom packaging become commercialized over this decade!
@@AnkurShah Me too. I've been quite impressed by the possibilities of mushrooms.
Because plastic production will never stop as it is a multi-billion dollar industry that employs millions and supports other industries 🤦🏻♀️
There's actually a program called Suppli that's similar to this for a few downtown Toronto (Canada) east end restaurants!
The takeout food comes in metal reusable containers and not having all that disposable plastic pretty awesome. Most times I pick up from the restaurants myself too so there's no plastic or paper bags either!
Note how the video host tried to address the issue of washing up costs for the restaurant and was immediately dismissed by DeliverZero rep with such a condescending demeanor. This company is not going anywhere if they think they are above their clients the restaurants and the consumers. As far as it shows they are handing plastic reusables that still pollute both in their manufacturing process and their disposal ( because yes, eventually they will get thrown away). Great job from their marketing team for reaching out to this channel, but this company is just not what they say they are.
Glad to see somebody else noticed this also. This company sound like many other tech startup and not worrying about scalability. If this does become a thing, dishwashing will definitely become a problem for restaurants. Especially if people can just drop off at any place even if they didn't get the order from them, a smaller local place could get bombarded with containers even though they are not sending out that much orders.
Hope this project gets the attention it deserves
i love this channel so much.
we have deliveries in clay pots or steel boxes. either the shop owner comes to collect them or we return them to the shop.
The important thing is not "to feel guilty", the important thing is to take actions to avoid the unnecessary waste of resources and the contamination of the planet. That is the first problem that we must fight in the West, pay less attention to "i wanna be" and "feelings" expressed on social networks to gain followers, and more worry about real and effective actions.
thank you for your useful videos!
You could still reuse some of the containers from regular takeout. I use mines to put away leftovers.
How was the white container not reusable? Those are my Tupperware dishes.
I work in a restaurant, and I would absolutely love to use these!
Keep up the great work, I adore you!!!
Unless you’re Hispanic, you clean and reuse those containers 🇵🇷
Or just ethnic or low income in general lol
I’m white, and I reuse those containers. 😂
i use them as packaging for my business 👍
Latina here I definitely reuse 🤣
ikr? all containers are reusable as long as they can be washed lol
This is such a cool idea! Especially if it just started coming in a paper bag because those are easier to recycle than plastic.
a couple of thoughts about this idea. I have heard that in areas that have done the bag ban have seen an increase in garbage bag sales. This is because people have been recycling them in there homes as garbage liners. So which is better? I think that there needs to be more focus on a compostable plastic that can resist liquids for a time and then add the bag ban. Or demand that factories that are currently using the "bad" plastic switch to the compostable plastic. as an incentive there needs to be a program to help switch factories over and a tax cut or something for a short period of time. there are already people/labs in other countries that have invented plastic from a variety of seaweed ( the invasive species variety). this seaweed has been turned into "plastic" jugs that can hold juice and will completely disappears in 30 days.
2) these to-go containers are still made out of plastic. yes they get more uses but wouldn't be better for them to be made out of another product? like glass? as lest for now. this way if they break they can easily be recycled and turned into another to-go container.
Such a useful channel. Even if it only helps people reduce their waste instead of converting someone to "zero" waste, it's still a positive impact.
Such a great idea, I hope to see them in other cities!
I keep my plastic utensils to use for my work lunch or we use the napkin, plus I keep the container for my own "Tupperware"
This need to be implemented in a lot more states and industries. Awesome stuff
Great idea!
I also seprate plastic from green vegitable peels before throwing them to garbage bin.
3:59 the dishwasher has to be on because it is a BIG machine not like at home the water inside has to be warm.
If you turn it off u have to wait maybe an half hour to get it work again
In my country (atleast where ive been) in the recent years ive only had food delivered in these paper made boxes. You need to transfer the food to a plate before putting it in a fridge but honeslty works and are recyclable
I try and reuse the plastic containers, but it can get overwhelming to have loads fill up the cabinets. I still have to throw out many lids because the stores stab it to release the steam. I can't keep things air-tight if they have been stabbed.
In Asia, we have been using reusable stacking containers for centuries to deliver takeaways.
I can't say how often I have wanted something like this!
Brilliant!
Would love to use this service! I hope this takes off even when you need to bring home leftovers from a dine-in situation
Curious how this compares to using compostable packaging, which is being used in places that have introduced single use plastic bans.
There are hodge problems with compostable plastic packaging
Oh, those side items! A few yrs ago i got so many plastic forks from deliveries, had a pile of them in the corner. Even when stating in the order i don't need any. :(
Bring this to Florida! I'm tried of doing Uber eats and feeling like a part of the problem!!!
Most Chinese food take out is those white and red paper cartons and they use a thick paper bag and the fried foods are in wax paper bags. That sound better to me than any plastic. The soup is sometimes in thick paper tubs and sometimes reusable plastic.
I worked in restaurants for 25 years & not once did I see the dish washer being run half full it just doesn't happen so that's not a problem. I like the work that you're doing, so keep it up you beautiful people ,Gods loving you!
Bring this everywhere
Some places in Korea and Japan send food in normal dishes and they come to pick it up later.
This is a great idea. There's restaurants in our area that would participate in this.
5:52 Its crazy, when we work overtime the company I work for orders take away. There are always many napkins included that nobody ever used. I always take them with me to use at home so it does not go to waste, but if I am not working, people just throw them away
This is awesome. I wish I had this in my area. How does the company know if you dropped them off with someone or at the restaurant?
I hope they come to Canada soon!
Love this
Insightful 👍
I dont throw the "disposable" bowls away lol🤷🏽♀️
I always thought those containers WERE reusable, I wash them and reuse them all the time and I save napkins, sauces, plasticsware, etc.
I know that in Korea and Japan if you get delivery from your local restaurant, they'll just send a high strength plastic bowl or plate that's plastic wrapped. To return it, you'd quick rinse it and leave it outside of your door.
I know it's a different culture to even be able to do that. But just an idea.
Did they have delivery back before the single use pandemic? How did they deal with the supply and delivery logistics?
Bro, I’m in Europe (UK more specifically) and I’ve never gotten so much single use stuff in any of my orders. Usually you can ask to not get napkins or cutlery.
In UK I find its really hard to get takeout without plastic, theres only one branch of one chain that I've been to so far that has been accommodating (I live in North West)
I have a Zero Waste Warriors campaign in Chicago...and we are focusing on this. Our first clean up is next Sunday and definitely will be doing an episode on my channel on the event!
I use the napkins I get in the drive thru at home in my holder lol. Yeah I asked for no utensils once when stuff was being delivered and we still got them I was so annoyed. I wish restaurants did do more dish washing. Because of covid a ton of places like IHOP stopped using silverware and have been using disposable ones even though they still have to wash the cups and plates we ate off of. I'm thinking what's the point of the disposable utensils??
Yeah I agree, I will leave notes not to include disposable stuff but it often gets ignored
I don't do delivery often. When I have, I have said no to side items every time...most of the time they still come
For bottles and cans a deposit system is well established in Germany. I would love to see something like that for take out.
Im just gonna stick to eating at home
There are a few restaurants here in Mumbai, India that offer take out in steel containers, which is definitely better for your health as well as for the environment, because you can re use them for an infinite period. Might be a little expensive to start with, but in the longer run it would definitely give massive returns
If and when I get something from my favorite restaurant, I simply take my Stainless Steel containers or Glass containers in to the Restaurant and ask them to put my food into the containers that I brought. And I have all the condiments and silverware or chopsticks and napkins at home that I could take with me or use at home. Plus I can use my re-useable shopping bags to carry my purchased meal in.
Fun fact: those "single-use" utensils (chopsticks and plastic cutlery) and entree/appetiser/dessert containers are actually reusable if you have a good dishwasher. And most restaurants that I know of allow for you to exclude cutlery and napkins if you ask.
Bigger serving? I’m sold! I still wish we would switch to waxed paper or cornstarch or similar due to the health effects of plastics.
So exciting! A great idea. I'm just afraid of people ordering with this service and throwing the containers away anyway.
That's incredible action 🎬 👏
I hope that comes to my area.
Y'all don't save ur takeout containers already? I use them as tubber ware
I’m sold!
I wish they had delivery zero in other cities- I would definitely try the service
Its healthier for you and the environment if we all start cooking our own food!
i wish this will move out of new york. i’m in montréal and i would die for this omg it’s so cool
But you can still use the containers over again from the “single use” plastic containers. And more than 8 times too….
I tried maximize waste for a month. It was quite easy. Went through so much plastic and just dumped all my waste right in the woods.
That is a really good strategy, I also recommend letting your sink run all day and throwing plastic in the ocean
Are these containers able to be microwaved
This is so cool
It's a good idea if they broaden their reach to all 5 borough in NYC. How about Queens, NY @deliverzero? Wished they had participating restaurants in Queens cause I would love to support.
Reusable containers are good idea, but so is use of containers and bags made of recycled paper.
I am a but puzzled about what we heard about napkins: aren't they either recyclable or compostable? Mine end up in compost bin, together with banana and potato peels and stale, moldy bread.
in some way, recyclable plastic can helps. Now, by the pandemic, is healty get personal containers, but sometimes people doesn't has time to wash them.. is because fooding services search ways to make more practical. Just they have to think, not only in service, but also in enviroment..
That apartment is enormous
Yay progress
Those containers are nice I would want to keep some
I bring my own containers if I’m ordering takeout at the restaurant (it’s usually a restaurant that I frequent and they know me so have no problem doing it) obviously it’s convenient to get it delivered than waiting around but I don’t mind :)
The idea is great but returning the containers seems kind of a fuss. You would have to be keeping ordering food, which could not be on your budget for more than once a month. If you decide to return it yourself you would have to arrange a trip to the restaurant on your spare hours with all these containers in your hands through the public transportation (I don't have a car and many of my friends don't either)
I'm guessing some people would start keeping them just to avoid the hassle.
Lots to work to do but good start.
One thing I have noticed is that the more money a person makes the more wasteful they tend to be. People in poverty tend to re-use a lot of plastics, especially these types of containers. I had gotten into the habit of washing the containers and using them for lunches and snacks later. In our house we save and reuse the plastic bags too.