Takeout produces a lot of trash. It doesn’t have to

The single-use packaging that typically accompanies your takeout order can have a significant impact on the environment.

Video: Vox/University of California

The doorbell rings. It’s takeout—and a small mountain of single-use packaging you don’t need.

Ever wonder why our favorite food comes with so much stuff? If so, you’re not alone.

Takeout creates a lot of trash, and that means a larger climate footprint for our pad thai and tikka masala. In total, about 29 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we make, consume and dispose of stuff. But there are solutions to getting our favorite food without the waste.

In the latest installment of the Climate Lab video series—produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox Media—Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan looks at what leading companies and universities are doing to stem the tide of single-use packages.

Making a change in your own life may be easier than you think.

The video debuted on Vox early this month and is also available at youtube.com/vox.

This story was published with permission from Conservation International.

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