Examining the environmental impact of a typical take-out meal 

BY KENDALL BRUNETTE FOR GREENING OF OIL

As a college student with minimal cooking skills and a hectic schedule, the temptation to order delivery pizza for all three meals of the day is quite strong.  The thought of having someone else cook my food and deliver it right to my door is undeniably appealing.  However, college students are not alone in their hunger for fast and convenient food.  According to “No Free Refills,” the average American eats fast food 150 times per year. We live in a fast-paced society that expects our food to come to us at a pace that can keep up with our busy schedules.  Unfortunately, it is more than just our wallets that suffer from eating out; our planet suffers even more.

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Let’s take a close look into our noon-hour lunch trip.  We have decided to stop by the local Chinese restaurant to order our favorite sesame chicken and egg drop soup.  The environmental footprint of our lunch out began the minute we hopped in our car to drive to the restaurant.  After a ridiculously quick ten minutes go by, we are handed our meal.  Inside the plastic bag are two Styrofoam boxes.  Inside those boxes are two individually wrapped egg rolls with five packets of duck sauce, two Styrofoam containers of sweet and sour, one large Styrofoam container of egg drop soup, individually wrapped plastic forks, knives, and spoons, fifteen napkins, and four wrapped fortune cookies.  Don’t forget the large Styrofoam cup of soda with a wrapped straw!  According to the Clean Air Council, nearly 44 million American workers eat lunch out every weekday. With daily lunch habits like this, the packaging waste really begins to pile up.  But where is that waste going?  Most dirty food containers are never recycled.  More often than not, this waste ends up in a landfill.  The Styrofoam packaging that held our low-mein is not easily broken down and has a landfill half-life of 10,000 years.  In fact, one-third of America’s garbage is comprised of packaging.  Even if we recycle the packaging, the amount of carbon emitted during the construction of the packaging must be accounted for.  The manufacturing of burger wrappers, cardboard carry-out boxes, and other paper packaging has played a large role in international deforestation and global carbon emissions. 

However, packaging is not the only way in which eating out impacts our environment.  So often when we go out to eat, we are served linebacker-sized portions of food.  The leftover food is usually thrown to waste.  If we consider all of the resources used to grow and make the food such as water for the crops, petroleum-based fertilizers, fuel for transportation, and the fuel used in cooking, we begin to see the real cost of our lunch. 

By eating in, we not only minimize waste from packaging and production, but we increase our choosing power to support sustainable enterprises.  There is no way of knowing where the burger in our Big Mac came from. But when we buy our food from the grocery store, we not only know where the food is coming from, but we also have the option of supporting the sustainable food companies.  By choosing not to spend money at fast-food chains, we are making the conscious effort to not support unsustainable business practices. 

Eating out is a very tempting option for millions of Americans.  The ease and convenience of drive-thrus and delivery appeals to everyone.  But when we consider the environmental footprint of our daily lunch to-go, we realize how ease and convenience can impact the planet.  As a consumer, it is important for us to be aware of how our eating habits affect the environment in which we live.  If you must eat out, take the steps necessary to reduce your environmental impact.  Tell the restaurant to hold the plastic silverware and use your own.  Save the extra napkins to use in tomorrow’s lunch.  Ask for your leftovers to be wrapped in foil instead of boxed in Styrofoam.  Be conscious of your consumer habits and do your best to minimize the environmental footprint of your noon-time rituals.  When noon rolls around tomorrow, think twice before ordering that plate of savory sweet and sour chicken. 

About Kendall Brunette

Kendall Brunette is a senior at Cornell University majoring in Natural Resources and Education. Her academic interests lie in the field of environmental journalism. Growing up in Wyoming, Kendall has had extensive experience with the oil and gas industry. Her hometown of Pinedale is home to the Jonah Field and Pinedale Anticline, two of the largest natural gas reserves in the country.

Brunette has worked with the U.S. Geological Survey on the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative project. She has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service, conducted environmental research in the Everest region of Nepal, and volunteered with the Green River Valley Land Trust.

Upon graduation in May, Brunette looks forward to moving back to Wyoming where she will continue to pursue her academic interests by helping to raise awareness about issues related to the oil and gas industry. She will continue to be active in promoting public education and helping to preserve the area’s natural resources and intrinsic beauty.

Contact Kendall at krb45@cornell.edu