Study: Air pollution drives plastic waste in China

China accounts for an estimated 65 million meal containers discarded each day. Photo: AFP

China is one of the world’s biggest users of online food delivery services, a consumer habit that creates a lot of plastic waste.

New research suggests a correlation between office workers’ propensity to order food delivery and outdoor air pollution in the country.

It’s grey and cold, and the closest restaurant to your office is at least a 10min walk away. If you don’t have an on-site cafeteria, the temptation to have lunch delivered to your desk can be very strong.

But in China, it’s not so much bad weather as air pollution levels that could encourage workers to use food delivery services.

When repeated day in day out, this habit can considerably increase the amount of plastic waste created from takeout food packaging. So highlights a new study carried out by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS).