20 Sep 2023 --- Chinese researchers have discovered that incorporating “green nudges” into foodservice apps, by which single-use cutlery (SUC) is not automatically included in orders, can dramatically reduce the quantity of packaging consumed. The study follows new regulations in several major Chinese cities that prohibit online food-delivery companies from including SUC unless it is explicitly requested. Published in Science, researchers from Hong Kong University’s Faculty of Business and Economics collaborated with multinational e-commerce and retail giant Alibaba to use its mobile food delivery platform, Ele.me (similar to Uber Eats and DoorDash), to incorporate prompts rewarding customers for not selecting SUC in their orders.
