A delivery driver put Dunkin' Donuts on blast after receiving an order with a "stupid amount of packaging" — a trend sparking outrage on social media. The reveal had one Redditor proclaiming: "They should change Dunkin's motto to 'America runs on consumption.'"
What's happening?
The original poster shared an image of the order in r/Anticonsumption. A single drink appears to be in a portable carrier and is further encased in a bulky plastic bag.
"Upper middle class in NY with plenty to burn. This person is a regular," the OP said.
While backlash to the environmentally destructive habits of the ultra-wealthy is nothing new, many Redditors felt the customer's regular indulgence in this small luxury was just as infuriating.
"Having a mid coffee delivered for $15 dollars when you could make it very easy at home for $0.15 is indicative of a larger habit of terrible financial and lifestyle decisions," one said.
"The carbon footprint for this one drink is astronomical," the OP vented.
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Why is this important?
While food delivery services can support healthy eating and be a godsend during tough times — during the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, they helped keep many struggling restaurants afloat and helped provide a greater sense of normalcy — overreliance on these services contributes to a surge in plastic waste that doesn't easily break down in nature.
Instead, it piles up in landfills — which produce staggering amounts of air pollution — in community spaces, at popular vacation destinations, and in waterways and soil. Large pieces of plastic degrade into microplastics that can enter our food supply and drinking water.
Researchers are still investigating the long-term consequences of microplastic exposure, but studies have linked the particles to some cancers, dementia, and reproductive difficulties.
Why would Dunkin' Donuts wrap the drink in so much plastic?
Dunkin' Donuts has initiatives to reduce plastic waste. For instance, it has teamed up with TerraCycle to make recycling coffee bags easier — and the process is free. In 2020, Dunkin' also completed a transition away from polystyrene foam cups to paper cups.
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From a barista 💸 Multiple Redditors said that Dunkin' likely packaged the delivery this way to ensure food safety. "It's likely done that way to show obvious tampering and ensure the drink doesn't spill. … While it is wasteful, it makes sense," one person wrote.
However, one person suggested that regulatory support could reduce overall delivery waste. "This makes me sad. But happy that I live in a country, where you have to order for a minimum. Which means you rarely buy just one thing," they said.
What's being done about this more broadly?
Many businesses use plastic because it is cheap, durable, and readily available. However, efforts are underway to develop and adopt more sustainable, cost-effective packaging.
British Crisp Co., for example, launched chip packets that perform like plastic but are fully recyclable. A Minnesota town will require all packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2032; a transitional period will give businesses time to adjust.
You can do your part to cut down on plastic waste by using less plastic. Using reusable silicone containers for takeout orders would remove a common point of microplastic exposure.
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