Online grocery delivery services like Instacart have gained popularity in recent years, and this could actually be good for the environment, experts say.
OPB reported on the trend, noting that a few studies indicate getting meals delivered may produce less planet-warming pollution than an average trip to the grocery store. For instance, a 2022 study from the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems pointed out that meal delivery vehicles are often clustered with numerous orders for dropoff in a given neighborhood. This makes these services more efficient than each family driving a separate car to the grocery store.
Meal kits through services like HelloFresh — even with all of their excess packaging — also come out on top. A 2019 study published in the Resources, Conservation and Recycling journal found them to be a more efficient use of food. Overall, the researchers surmised that prepackaged kits produced 33% less carbon pollution than a meal made with ingredients purchased at a grocery store. This is mostly tied to the food waste caused when people overbuy ingredients and eventually throw them out.
🗣️ What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food?
🔘 Bought more than I could eat 🛒
🔘 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎
🔘 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞
🔘 Didn't want leftovers 🥡
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The article also points out that e-bikes, drones, and robots utilized by some food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash — services that often deliver only an order at a time, resulting in more carbon pollution — can lower their environmental footprints.
Americans' use of meal delivery services has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic — today, one in five consumers has groceries delivered to their doorstep at least once a month, OPB reports. The entire food delivery app industry, which includes single-meal services like DoorDash along with meal kit and grocery delivery, is expected to reach $213 billion market size by 2030, according to Business of Apps.
These apps make life easier for people by saving time. Meanwhile, the carbon-cutting benefits of these services could help us to fight an overheating planet, which threatens us in a number of ways by supercharging the weather. For instance, the U.S. has experienced an especially dangerous hurricane season in 2024, including Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene.
If you still like purchasing your groceries in person, fear not — there are a few things you can do to reduce your planet-warming pollution, such as taking public transit or riding your bike. If you live close enough to the store, you can also walk. If you do drive, try to combine your trip with other errands.
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