BY COLLEEN KERN
The rise of meal delivery services has transformed the way people cook and eat, offering convenience, portion control, and dietary customization. But for eco-conscious consumers, the question remains: Are meal kits a sustainable choice, or do they contribute to excessive waste and emissions? The answer might be surprising. While meal kits come with their fair share of packaging, research suggests they may actually be a more environmentally friendly option compared to traditional grocery shopping.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL TRADE-OFFS OF MEAL KITS REDUCING FOOD WASTE
One of the biggest advantages of meal delivery services is their ability to reduce food waste. Unlike grocery shopping, which often results in unused ingredients languishing in refrigerators, meal kits provide pre-portioned ingredients, ensuring that everything purchased gets used. A 2019 study published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling revealed that meal kits significantly lower household food waste compared to grocery store meals.
Food waste contributes to between 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Discarded food decomposes in landfills and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that nearly 30% to 40% of the country’s food supply is wasted. Meal kits can help address this challenge by providing precise portion sizes, offering a potentially more sustainable solution.
COMPARING CARBON FOOTPRINTS
Beyond food waste, meal kits also boast a smaller overall carbon footprint than grocery shopping. A study published in Food Policy analyzed the entire life cycle of household food choices and found that grocery store meals generate higher emissions than meal kits, driven by factors such as storage, refrigeration, and long-haul transportation. Traditional grocery supply chains require large storage facilities and refrigerated trucks to transport food, all of which contribute to higher energy use and emissions.
Meal kits, on the other hand, operate with a more direct supply chain. Meal delivery companies lower overall carbon emissions by streamlining ingredient sourcing and reducing unnecessary intermediaries. Ultimately, meal kits generate 33% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the same meals prepared with ingredients bought from a grocery store.
Additionally, a 2022 study from the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Co. compared greenhouse emissions from e-commerce grocery delivery and traditional in-store shopping. Researchers found that using an electric vehicle for grocery pickup could cut emissions by as much as half compared to a gas-powered vehicle. A particularly intriguing conclusion is that home delivery may actually outperform traditional shopping by leveraging route clustering, allowing a single delivery vehicle to drop off multiple grocery orders efficiently in one trip, making it more efficient than multiple individual car trips.
THE PACKAGING PROBLEM
While meal kits reduce food waste and emissions, they come with one unavoidable drawback: packaging. The insulation, plastic bags, and portion-sized containers used to keep ingredients fresh can create a significant amount of waste. A report from US Packaging & Wrapping highlights the variation in sustainability across different meal kit brands, noting that some generate excessive non-recyclable waste while others invest in compostable or reusable packaging to minimize environmental impact. By opting for meal services like Green Chef, Blue Apron, and HelloFresh, which prioritize sustainable packaging practices, consumers can actively contribute to reducing packaging waste.
While packaging remains a significant concern, it is worth noting that grocery store purchases also include packaging waste — from plastic produce bags to single-use containers — making the comparison more complex than it may initially seem.
COMPARING DIFFERENT MEAL DELIVERY MODELS
LARGE-SCALE MEAL KITÂ BRANDS
Companies like HelloFresh and Blue Apron have optimized their ingredient sourcing and portioning strategies, but each company’s environmental impact varies depending on packaging materials and shipping logistics. Even though these companies have a wide national presence, they are dedicated to enhancing their sustainability practices. They actively strive to incorporate recycled materials and prioritize sourcing from local farms whenever possible.
READY-MADE MEAL SERVICES
Beyond traditional meal kits, ready-made meal services like Factor and Eat Clean PHX offer an alternative approach. Instead of sending raw ingredients, these services provide fully cooked meals that only require reheating. While this reduces household food waste and minimizes the need for refrigeration, the sustainability of such services depends on factors like sourcing, packaging, and delivery efficiency.
Factor, for example, emphasizes fresh, never-frozen meals with high-quality ingredients. However, because meals are fully prepared, they require packaging that can withstand transit and maintain freshness. Eat Clean PHX, on the other hand, focuses on locally sourced organic meats and sustainably caught seafood, with an emphasis on reducing transportation emissions by serving a smaller geographic area.
GROCERY STORES: THE TRADITIONAL OPTION
While grocery shopping gives consumers full control over their purchases, it also comes with hidden environmental costs. The process of growing, packaging, transporting, and refrigerating food items contributes significantly to carbon emissions. Additionally, grocery shoppers often buy in bulk, which can lead to excess food waste when perishable items go unused. Although some grocery stores have made strides in sustainability, such as reducing plastic use and supporting local farmers, the overall supply chain remains resource intensive.
The University of Michigan study further highlights this impact, showing that an individual trip to the grocery store, especially in a gas-powered vehicle, generates more emissions per meal than home delivery services, which cluster multiple orders for efficiency. People can help lower their emissions by combining their errands into a single trip.
MAKING AN ECO-CONSCIOUS CHOICE
For environmentally minded consumers, the decision between meal kits and grocery shopping is not black and white. The best choice depends on a combination of factors, including packaging materials, sourcing practices, and overall convenience. Here are a few tips for making a more sustainable choice:
- Select meal kit companies that prioritize recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging.
- Consider services that source local, organic, and responsibly farmed ingredients.
- Choose customizable meal kits to avoid unwanted ingredients and reduce waste.
- When grocery shopping, buy in bulk, combine trips, and plan meals to reduce food waste.
- Look for grocery delivery services that use efficient routes and electric or hybrid vehicles to reduce emissions.Despite the packaging concerns associated with meal kits and home delivery models, if you’re looking for new ways to make a difference for the environment in your daily routine, these services might be the ticket.While no single option is perfect, these meal delivery services can make it easier to prioritize sustainability with healthy eating.
