scholarly journals Research on Environmental Issue and Sustainable Consumption of Online Takeout Food—Practice and Enlightenment Based on China’s Meituan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6722
Author(s):  
Meiwen Guo ◽  
Liang Wu ◽  
Jianping Peng ◽  
Chun-Hung Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Growth Status ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Food Needs ◽  
Government Legislation

In today’s society, consumers’ food needs can be satisfied by catering e-commerce platforms. However, the plastic pollution of tableware and packaging caused by a large number of catering orders every day has always been an unsolved environmental problem. (1) Background: At present, China’s three largest catering platforms, Meituan, Eleme and Baidu, receive 20 million takeout orders daily and consume about 60 million plastic products. Plastic pollution will have a sustained impact on the environment. (2) Methods: In this study, we use literature research and case analysis. We use Meituan’s takeout food as an example. We studied the takeout business growth, status of online takeout in the treatment of plastic packaging, harm to environment, humans and animals, as well as specific solutions. (3) Results: There are four main reasons which contribute to the plastic packaging pollution (i.e., high recycling cost, difficulty to deal with mixed plastic packaging, low effectiveness of collecting plastic packing, and immature technology and treatment to incinerate and landfill catering plastic waste). (4) Conclusion: Our findings suggest that regulators, takeout platforms and consumers, which have corresponding responsibilities in the environmental protection consumption of online food, are supposed to work together to get rid of the online takeout pollution for achieving sustainable consumption. Not only is government legislation needed to improve the waste management system and encourage the exploration of new intelligent waste classification tools, but platforms, businesses and users should enhance the environmental awareness of online takeout packaging pollution as well. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are also discussed.

Paper-based products as promising substitutes for plastics in the context of bans on non-biodegradables

BioResources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 7309-7312
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Huayu Liu ◽  
Kun Liu ◽  
Haishun Du ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Paper Properties ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The World ◽  
Plastic Products

As a global environmental problem, plastic pollution has attracted worldwide attention. Plastic wastes not only disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity, but they also threaten human life and health. Countries around the world have enacted regulations in recent years to limit the use of plastics. Paper products have been proposed as promising substitutes for plastics, which undoubtedly brings unprecedented opportunities to the pulp and paper industry. However, paper products have some deficiencies in replacing certain plastic products. Research and development to improve paper properties and reduce production costs is needed to meet such challenges.

EU plastics strategy will hinge on public concern

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
North Western ◽  
The Eu

Subject The EU’s plastic waste strategy. Significance The European Commission on January 16 published a strategy for tackling plastic waste, setting a goal of making all plastic packaging recyclable by 2030. The strategy comes amid growing concerns about the damage caused by plastic pollution, particularly to the marine environment, and a ban by the Chinese government on imports of certain types of waste including several plastics. Impacts Meeting the Commission’s goals for recycling could cost between 8 and 16 billion euros over the next 30 years. Greater investments in recycling could generate 200,000 jobs in the sector across the EU. North-western EU members may be best placed to take advantage of opportunities arising from greater emphasis on recycling.

scholarly journals Consumption based on Mindful Mindset: A Solution to Plastic Pollution

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 1393-1398
Author(s):  
Kannikar Khaw-ngern Et al.
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Pollution Effects ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
And Behavior

Plastic pollution is one of the most visible problems in many regions, especially in developing Asian and African countries, which lack of proper garbage collection systems. Everyone in societies need to work together in dealing with plastic pollution. The purpose of this article is to examine how plastic pollution effects human and environmental well-being, to study the influence of mindfulness on consumption behaviours, and to explore how mindful consumption contributes to the reduction of plastic pollution and brings ecological sustainability. Documentary study and literature review were used for data collection. Plastic pollution has become one of the most serious problems around the world, especially during the spread of COVID-19 due to the increase of single-use plastic waste. Results showed that plastic pollution causes many major long-term effects to human and ecosystem including the food chain changes, contagious diseases and respiratory diseases, polluted land, water, and air due to toxic chemicals residue. With mindful mindset, individuals will have a sense of caring and thinking about the future and the consequences of their actions towards themselves, community, and nature, so they behave and make decisions with the aim of increasing a consumer’s personal, economic, and social well-being to an optimal level. Mindful consumption, consciousness in thought and behavior about the implications and consequences of consumption, is a consumption framework guiding consumers to make their choices with the care of self and community while conserving environmental, personal and economic well-being. Thus, mindful consumption can be considered as sustainable consumption pattern and it can make a great contribution to reduction of plastic pollution and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. e3000961
Author(s):  
Jane Muncke
Keyword(s):  
Human Exposure ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Chemical Transfer ◽  
Alternative Material ◽  
Chemical Migration

The widespread use of plastic packaging for storing, transporting, and conveniently preparing or serving foodstuffs is significantly contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. This has led to many efforts directed toward amending plastic packaging’s end of life, such as recycling, or alternative material approaches, like increasingly using paper for food packaging. But these approaches often neglect the critical issue of chemical migration: When contacting foodstuffs, chemicals that are present in packaging transfer into food and thus unwittingly become part of the human diet. Hazardous chemicals, such as endocrine disrupters, carcinogens, or substances that bioaccumulate, are collectively referred to as “chemicals of concern.” They can transfer from plastic packaging into food, together with other unknown or toxicologically uncharacterized chemicals. This chemical transfer is scientifically undisputed and makes plastic packaging a known, and avoidable, source of human exposure to synthetic, hazardous, and untested chemicals. Here, I discuss this issue and highlight aspects in need of improvement, namely the way that chemicals present in food packaging are assessed for toxicity. Further, I provide an outlook on how chemical contamination from food packaging could be addressed in the future. Robust innovations must attempt systemic change and tackle the issue of plastic pollution and chemical migration in a way that integrates all existing knowledge.

scholarly journals Nudging in Supermarkets to Reduce Plastic Bag Consumption Among Customers: A Framework for Change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Lim
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Plastic Bags ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Plastic Bag ◽  
Food Needs

Despite good intentions, the increasing number of plastic bag bans aimed at alleviating marine plastic pollution saw a correlated increase in the number of unintended consequences that emerged alongside the bans, suggesting that human behavior towards plastic bag consumption have not changed, but merely shifted, and are feeding into other major international environmental catastrophes. Nudge theory, which helps people make better choices for themselves without inhibiting their free will, is a potential solution that has been shown to play a subtle but important role in providing options under circumstances where complex information needs to be streamlined for the wider community, avoiding any unintended consequences and behavioural shifts that might arise from instruments that diminishes autonomy. It is therefore timely to look into the insights of nudge theory to encourage a positive behavioural change to reduce plastic bag consumption. Here we apply a systematic literature review to show how successful applications of nudges in supermarkets can be leveraged to reduce plastic bag consumption. We find that the current applications of nudges in various industries worldwide, including supermarkets have produced positive and encouraging results, as well as producing lasting behavioural change among the wider community. Supermarkets are identified as a powerful deployment site of these nudges due to their positioning as a dominant provider of plastic bags to the wider community, as well as being the largest and leading provider of daily food needs. Finally, we synthesise our findings to produce a coherent and testable framework of actionable interventions that supermarkets can employ to nudge customers towards reduced plastic bag reliance, accompanied with a visual timeline of a customer shopping in a supermarket experiencing these nudges.

Predicting Behavioral Intentions Toward Sustainable Fashion Consumption

2014 ◽  
pp. 225-243
Author(s):  
Srikant Manchiraju
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Sustainable Fashion

In recent years, sustainable consumption has received considerable attention. In fact, to save the planet Earth and future generations, it has been proposed the issue of sustainable consumption should be addressed. Consequently, in the present chapter, two theoretical models are analyzed separately, as well as in conjunction, to understand sustainable consumption in the context of fashion. Furthermore, the present study's theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Usage des emballages plastiques dans la restauration de rue et assainissement des villes ouest-africaines : exemple de Lomé au Togo

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1646-1656
Author(s):  
Djiwonou Koffi Adjalo ◽  
Koko Zébéto Houedakor ◽  
Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou
Keyword(s):  
West African ◽  
Spatial Expansion ◽  
Mots Clés ◽  
Street Food ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
African Cities ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Population Urbaine ◽  
Food Needs ◽  
Harmful Effects

Les villes ouest-africaines connaissent une expansion démographique et spatiale, rapide et continue, depuis plusieurs décennies, avec développement de nouveaux modes de vie et de restauration. La restauration de rue, dans la quête de la satisfaction des besoins alimentaire de la population urbaine, fait usage des emballages plastiques. Dans ce secteur acquis à l’informel, l’usage de ces emballages entraîne des effets néfastes sur le système d'assainissement des villes ouest-africaines dont Lomé. Le présent article met en exergue l’usage des emballages plastiques dans la restauration de rue et son impact sur l’assainissement à Lomé. Pour ce faire, une enquête a été effectuée auprès de 225 consommateurs de rue choisis sur 45 points de vente, retenus par choix raisonné dans l’agglomération urbaine de Lomé. Les consommateurs d’aliments de rue sont essentiellement des fonctionnaires (40%) et des commerçants (35,11%). 75% des consommateurs sont des hommes et 82,5% des restaurateurs, des femmes. Les emballages plastiques sont utilisés dans le conditionnement des aliments de rue à Lomé. Devenus déchets après usage, les emballages plastiques ne font pas objet d’une gestion particulière. Une catégorisation des déchets à la source, conduirait à l’efficacité de leur gestion pour un meilleur assainissement de nos villes. Mots clés : Emballages plastiques, alimentation de rue, assainissement, urbanisation, environnement, Lomé-Togo   English title: Use of plastic packaging in street restoration and sanitation in west african cities : The case of Lomé West African cities have experienced rapid and continuous demographic and spatial expansion for several decades with the development of new lifestyles and restaurants. Street catering, in the quest to meet the food needs of the urban population, uses plastic packaging. In this informal sector, the use of this packaging has harmful effects on the sanitation system in West African cities, including Lomé. This article highlights the use of plastic packaging in street food and its impact on sanitation in Lomé. To do this, a survey was carried out among 225 street consumers chosen from 45 points of sale, selected by reasoned choice in the urban agglomeration of Lomé. Street food consumers are mainly civil servants (40%) and traders (35.11%). 75% of consumers are men and 82.5% of restaurateurs are women. Plastic packaging is used in the packaging of street food in Lomé. Having become waste after use, plastic packaging is not subject to special management. A categorization of waste at source will lead to efficient management for better sanitation in our cities.Keywords: Plastic packaging, street food, sanitation, urbanization, environment, Lome-Togo

scholarly journals Predicting Behavioral Intentions Toward Sustainable Fashion Consumption

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Srikant Manchiraju
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Sustainable Fashion

In recent years, sustainable consumption has received considerable attention. In fact, to save the planet Earth and future generations, it has been proposed the issue of sustainable consumption should be addressed. Consequently, in the present chapter, two theoretical models are analyzed separately, as well as in conjunction, to understand sustainable consumption in the context of fashion. Furthermore, the present study's theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Variable Fitness Response of Two Rotifer Species Exposed to Microplastics Particles: The Role of Food Quantity and Quality

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Claudia Drago ◽  
Guntram Weithoff
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Food Concentration ◽  
Polymer Composition ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Rotifer Species ◽  
Food Quantity ◽  
Egg Ratio ◽  
Planktonic Rotifers

Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental problem, but a comprehensive understanding of its effect in the environment is still missing. The wide variety of size, shape, and polymer composition of plastics impedes an adequate risk assessment. We investigated the effect of differently sized polystyrene beads (1-, 3-, 6-µm; PS) and polyamide fragments (5–25 µm, PA) and non-plastics items such as silica beads (3-µm, SiO2) on the population growth, reproduction (egg ratio), and survival of two common aquatic micro invertebrates: the rotifer species Brachionus calyciflorus and Brachionus fernandoi. The MPs were combined with food quantity, limiting and saturating food concentration, and with food of different quality. We found variable fitness responses with a significant effect of 3-µm PS on the population growth rate in both rotifer species with respect to food quantity. An interaction between the food quality and the MPs treatments was found in the reproduction of B. calyciflorus. PA and SiO2 beads had no effect on fitness response. This study provides further evidence of the indirect effect of MPs in planktonic rotifers and the importance of testing different environmental conditions that could influence the effect of MPs.

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