Are meal kits environmentally friendly?

Want exclusive MinuteFood perks AND feel-good vibes? Visit http://patreon.com/minutefood to join our new exclusive community! Wait a sec…how can meal kits (& grocery delivery services) POSSIBLY be sustainable? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆-𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆: -Gee IM, Davidson FT, Speetles BL, and Webber ME (2019). Deliver me from food waste: model framework for comparing the energy use of meal-kit delivery and groceries Journal of Clear Production 236. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652619324011 -Gee IM, Heard B, Webber ME, and Miller S (2020). “The Future of Food: Environmental Lessons from E-Commerce," Environmental Science and Technology 54 (23): 14776–14784 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c01731 -Fenton K (2017). Unpacking the sustainability of Meal Kit Delivery : a comparative analysis of energy use, carbon emissions, and related costs for Meal Kit services and grocery stores. Master’s Thesis, University of Texas at Austin. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/61651/FENTON-THESIS-2017.pdf?sequence=1 -Heard, BR et al (2019). Comparison of life cycle environmental impacts from meal kits and grocery store meals. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 147: 189-200 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344919301703. -Kan M, Miller SA (2022). Environmental impacts of plastic packaging of food products. Resources, Conservation, and Recycling 180: 106156. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344922000040 -Kunkel, CE (2020). Delivery or Not: The Effect of Grocery Delivery Services on Last Mile Emissions. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School. https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/37365068 -Wygonik E, Goodchild AV (2018). Urban form and last-mile goods movement: Factors affecting vehicle miles travelled and emissions. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 61: 217–229. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1361920916300025 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 (𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲) 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: -https://www.wired.com/story/is-online-grocery-shopping-better-for-the-planet/ -https://grist.org/article/should-i-trade-in-my-grocery-trips-for-a-meal-kit-subscription/?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=tweet&utm_campaign=FoodWaste -https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/04/22/716010599/meal-kits-have-smaller-carbon-footprint-than-grocery-shopping-study-says -https://www.agclimate.net/2021/06/30/how-do-grocery-and-meal-kit-deliveries-impact-the-carbon-footprint-of-our-food/ -https://www.washington.edu/news/2013/04/29/grocery-delivery-service-is-greener-than-driving-to-the-store/ -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7VD6K33ukw& 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰: -Dr. Shelie Miller, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan -Dr. Isabella Gee, former postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin MinuteFood is created by Kate Yoshida, Arcadi Garcia & Bill Mead, and produced by Neptune Studios LLC. Merch | https://store.dftba.com/collections/minutefood TikTok | https://tiktok.com/@minutefood_ Twitter | https://twitter.com/minutefood Instagram | https://instagram.com/minutefood_ Facebook | https://facebook.com/minutefood