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I've always been curious about the waste concerns highlighted towards the end of the article. What is the cost of the individualized packaging? How much does it

I've always been curious about the waste concerns highlighted towards the end of the article. What is the cost of the individualized packaging? How much does it's recyclability matter. Does it create less food waste? Less pollution from car trips to the grocery store? Less waste & pollution than the operations of those stores themselves? My uneducated guess is no, but I'm curious if there are any studies out there measuring these kinds of impacts.

trumpeta 10y ago
I can tell you from personal experience, I have used a similar company for the past month or so. In terms of packaging, they use cardboard and paper bags, which I think is better than plastic from all the packagings if I bought everything at the store, but then the chilled goods are in a aluminium/plastic bag which I guess does not recycle super well. But where I really see the difference is that they proportion all the ingredients for the recipe and the amount of people, so you have zero waste of the ingredients. When we buy at the store the packaging is seldom right size for the recipe, so I end up buying too little or throwing it out later. I hate seeing food go to waste so this is a big one for me. The last thing I like is that it forces me to eat more varied veggies compared to the recipes I cook normally.
- stevenwoo 10y ago
  There's also the two ice pack things in there, not sure what we can do about those, either.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - freehunter 10y ago
    Getting the ice packs was my favorite part of Blue Apron when I joined. I reuse them all the time.
  - waivej 10y ago
    This is the thing that will make me leave them. I hate cutting those open to recycle them. Yes, you can reuse a few but what if you get 8 per month?
- bearcobra 10y ago
  I used Chefs Plate for a while and generally found the same things. 100% of their packaging, including ice packs and the shipping boxes, is recyclable which was nice. I'm still unsure though if it's a net negative compared to going to my local grocery store.
VLM 10y ago
That's an interesting idea and could be extended via a comparison to CSA shares, which are pretty much the same idea without any recipes or tech or phone apps, but similar energy, packaging, and distribution (financial and enviro) cost problems. It even has the same end user complaints. The guy in the thread complaining about what he's supposed to do with a 4000 calorie quesodilla is pretty much the same as me pondering what to do with nine pounds of delicious kale, delicious, but... nine pounds? I would imagine CSA shares are not just a heartland thing and even "food desert" coasties have CSAs although shipment costs must be higher?
- codemac 10y ago
  I have never seen in my life a CSA box that individually wrapped each ingredient. I'll never forget visiting a friend that had blue apron and how I couldn't stop laughing at the individually bagged carrots each with the sticker "carrot" neatly stuck on. Blue Apron is an entirely different level of waste compared to any CSA I've been a part of.
- blacksmith_tb 10y ago
  Well, I have belonged to a couple of CSAs and they didn't do any packaging at all - shares were in reusable plastic stacking boxes, and you had to go to get them in person at a farmer's market (I typically biked there, so no extra emissions). There are some 'organic to you' delivery services here in Portland OR that bring you your fruits and veggies in a waxed cardboard box, but I believe they reuse those.
  - lfowles 10y ago
    Similar experience, the first time you picked up the produce it was in an insulated bag which you were expected to return in exchange next time.
- ceejayoz 10y ago
  > That's an interesting idea and could be extended via a comparison to CSA shares, which are pretty much the same idea without any recipes or tech or phone apps, but similar energy, packaging, and distribution (financial and enviro) cost problems. CSAs around here (upstate NY) are "show up at the farm or one of a couple spots around town". There are giant reusable baskets of each of the things on offer, with chalkboards saying stuff like "Carrots: max 8". You bring your own bags. No packaging or waste whatsoever, and if you don't like kale you just skip it (and they'll usually be happy to let you take a few extra of something else).
0xfaded 10y ago
The waste is what ultimately caused me to leave blue apron. I'm currently on Methodology, which comes premade in Tupperware containers in a flexible cooler. They collect everything, but I'm not 100% sure whether they wash and reuse or just recycle the the Tupperware. Expensive as hell, but the food is good and it's the least wasteful food service I know. Any other suggestions? Edit: According to the FAQ, meal containers are reused
- sjg007 10y ago
  Go to the supermarket?
throwaway91111 10y ago
Agreed. I wish they could source the grocery store three blocks from my apartment. Literally just instacart where blue apron coordinates the list and portions. I stopped after two weeks when i realized how far the food travels to be unwrapped and cooked. The recycling component isn't very meaningful if you know what happens to recycling and where most of the environmental impact comes from.

trumpeta 10y ago

I can tell you from personal experience, I have used a similar company for the past month or so. In terms of packaging, they use cardboard and paper bags, which I think is better than plastic from all the packagings if I bought everything at the store, but then the chilled goods are in a aluminium/plastic bag which I guess does not recycle super well. But where I really see the difference is that they proportion all the ingredients for the recipe and the amount of people, so you have zero waste of the ingredients. When we buy at the store the packaging is seldom right size for the recipe, so I end up buying too little or throwing it out later. I hate seeing food go to waste so this is a big one for me. The last thing I like is that it forces me to eat more varied veggies compared to the recipes I cook normally.

stevenwoo 10y ago
There's also the two ice pack things in there, not sure what we can do about those, either.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- freehunter 10y ago
  Getting the ice packs was my favorite part of Blue Apron when I joined. I reuse them all the time.
- waivej 10y ago
  This is the thing that will make me leave them. I hate cutting those open to recycle them. Yes, you can reuse a few but what if you get 8 per month?
bearcobra 10y ago
I used Chefs Plate for a while and generally found the same things. 100% of their packaging, including ice packs and the shipping boxes, is recyclable which was nice. I'm still unsure though if it's a net negative compared to going to my local grocery store.

VLM 10y ago

That's an interesting idea and could be extended via a comparison to CSA shares, which are pretty much the same idea without any recipes or tech or phone apps, but similar energy, packaging, and distribution (financial and enviro) cost problems. It even has the same end user complaints. The guy in the thread complaining about what he's supposed to do with a 4000 calorie quesodilla is pretty much the same as me pondering what to do with nine pounds of delicious kale, delicious, but... nine pounds? I would imagine CSA shares are not just a heartland thing and even "food desert" coasties have CSAs although shipment costs must be higher?

codemac 10y ago
I have never seen in my life a CSA box that individually wrapped each ingredient. I'll never forget visiting a friend that had blue apron and how I couldn't stop laughing at the individually bagged carrots each with the sticker "carrot" neatly stuck on. Blue Apron is an entirely different level of waste compared to any CSA I've been a part of.
blacksmith_tb 10y ago
Well, I have belonged to a couple of CSAs and they didn't do any packaging at all - shares were in reusable plastic stacking boxes, and you had to go to get them in person at a farmer's market (I typically biked there, so no extra emissions). There are some 'organic to you' delivery services here in Portland OR that bring you your fruits and veggies in a waxed cardboard box, but I believe they reuse those.
- lfowles 10y ago
  Similar experience, the first time you picked up the produce it was in an insulated bag which you were expected to return in exchange next time.
ceejayoz 10y ago
> That's an interesting idea and could be extended via a comparison to CSA shares, which are pretty much the same idea without any recipes or tech or phone apps, but similar energy, packaging, and distribution (financial and enviro) cost problems. CSAs around here (upstate NY) are "show up at the farm or one of a couple spots around town". There are giant reusable baskets of each of the things on offer, with chalkboards saying stuff like "Carrots: max 8". You bring your own bags. No packaging or waste whatsoever, and if you don't like kale you just skip it (and they'll usually be happy to let you take a few extra of something else).

0xfaded 10y ago

The waste is what ultimately caused me to leave blue apron. I'm currently on Methodology, which comes premade in Tupperware containers in a flexible cooler. They collect everything, but I'm not 100% sure whether they wash and reuse or just recycle the the Tupperware. Expensive as hell, but the food is good and it's the least wasteful food service I know. Any other suggestions? Edit: According to the FAQ, meal containers are reused

sjg007 10y ago
Go to the supermarket?

throwaway91111 10y ago

Agreed. I wish they could source the grocery store three blocks from my apartment. Literally just instacart where blue apron coordinates the list and portions. I stopped after two weeks when i realized how far the food travels to be unwrapped and cooked. The recycling component isn't very meaningful if you know what happens to recycling and where most of the environmental impact comes from.