We are examining the environmental impact of food delivery vs home cooking. Services like Uber Eats, Just Eat, Deliveroo and Foodhub, provide deliveries. Cooking at home often involves keeping food in a fridge at home. When examining this several variables come into play, including cost, and emmissions, but you might be surprised by our approach purely examineing emmissions, and the effects on the climate. Let’s break down the energy consumption and emissions associated with each approach to better understand which might be more eco-friendly.
Average Number of Deliveries per Kilometer For Food Delivery
Uber delivery drivers typically complete 0.5 to 1 delivery per kilometer. Combined with the fact that multiple drops often average around 3 km per delivery, there is significant energy expenditure involved in frequent deliveries.
Typical Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicles (Food Deliveries) vs Fridges (Home Cooking)
- Electric Vehicles:
- A typical electric vehicle, like the Tesla Model 3, achieves approximately 5 km per kWh.
- Emissions from electric cars are around 75g CO2 per km, significantly lower than diesel cars.
- Fridge Consumption:
- A standard fridge uses 1-4 kWh per day. (Does not include large freezer.)
- This translates to 3.5-14 deliveries per day, equivalent to one fridge’s daily consumption.
Comparing Diesel Cars to Electric Vehicles to Calculate Real Environmental Impact of Food Delivery
When considering the environmental impact of food delivery vs. home cooking, some cars often used for food deliveries are diesel. Here, we compare the carbon emissions of diesel cars to the emissions of electric cars:
- Diesel Cars: Emit around 220g of CO2 per km.
- Electric Cars: Emit about 75g of CO2 per km.
- This means you would need approximately get 0.4 of electric-powered deliveries to equal the emissions of one diesel-powered delivery.
Results Indicate: When Considering The Environmental Impact of Food Delivery, Deliveries Are Better
You would therefore get 2-3 deliveries per day PER FRIDGE in an average situation just based on emmisions.
Additional Considerations When Using Food Delivery
- Efficiency in Bulk Buying: Supermarkets often benefit from more efficient logistics due to bulk deliveries, which reduces the per-item carbon footprint.
- Packaging: Delivery services tend to use sustainable materials like cardboard rather than plastic, which can reduce environmental impact.
Conclusion
Considering both food delivery services and home cooking, opting for local suppliers and utilizing electric vehicles can significantly reduce environmental impact. Additionally, focusing on bulk purchase efficiencies and sustainable packaging can further enhance eco-friendliness. Ultimately, your choice can make a meaningful difference to the planet’s health.