I refer to the article “Food delivery firms offering reusable containers in response to alarm at rising waste levels amid Covid-19”; Oct 9.

The increase in the prevalence of food delivery companies offering the option to use reusable food containers is a reassuring move.

This signifies growing awareness on how the penchant for convenience, manifested in the form of food delivery, has led to increased plastic waste from disposable takeaway and food delivery containers.

However, there are certain limitations with the reusable container initiative.

First, there seems to be limited awareness among the public about it, which could have partly contributed to the low uptake.

Secondly, the need to download a separate app besides the food delivery app may be perceived by some as an inconvenience, and make it less appealing.

Moreover, the extra effort involved in having to return the containers to participating eateries will likely deter more people from signing up for such a service.

In order to encourage greater adoption of this green initiative, a shift in mindset to one that prioritises the environment over one’s convenience is likely necessary. 

I have three suggestions. First, carry more advertisements in the food delivery apps to increase awareness of the option to use these reusable containers.

The ads could highlight the vast amounts of plastic waste generated from takeaways, illustrating the pertinence of the issue and thus convincing the public to switch to these alternatives.

Secondly, food delivery platforms could seek to integrate the reusable container service into their respective apps to eliminate the hassle of having to navigate between two separate apps.

Lastly, to shape the mindsets of individuals, the best way would be to start from young. The importance of minimising plastic waste and using reusables could be emphasised in the primary school science curriculum.

This could be supplemented with a field trip to Pulau Semakau to allow students to see first-hand the importance of reducing waste and its significance in Singapore’s context.

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